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THE 



Fishermen's Own Book, 



COMPRISING 



THE LIST OF MEN AND VESSELS LOST FROM THE PORT OF 
GLOUCESTER, MASS., FROM 1874 TO APRIL I, 1882, 



A Table of Losses from 1830, 



TOGETHER WITH 

VALUABLE STATISTICS OF THE FISHERIES, 



NOTABLE FARES, NARROW ESCAPES, STARTLING ADVENTURES, 

FISHERMEN'S OFF-HAND SKETCHES, BALLADS, 

DESCRIPTIONS OF FISHING TRIPS 



OTHER INTERESTING FACTS AND INCIDENTS CONNECTED WITH 
THIS BRANCH OF MARITIME INDUSTRY. 



oJ*<c 



GLOUCESTER : 
PROCTER BROTHERS, Publishers, 

CAPE ANN ADVERTISER OFFICE. 



F% 



(C r 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1882, by 

PROCTER BROTHERS, 
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Preface, 

Early Fisheries of Cape Ann (illus. with models of fishing vessels), 

A Remarkable Escape on Board Sch. Codseeker, 

Gloucester Harbor in 1806 (illustrated with map), . 

A Winter's Trip to Georges (illlustrated), .... 

Table, giving Prices of Mackerel for the Past 52 Years, . 

Leaves from a Log-Book — Remarkable Adventures, etc. (illustrated) 

Notable Fishing Fares (illustrated), . 

The Old-Time Fishery at 'Squam, 

Homeward Bound, ...... 

Products of the Gloucester Fisheries, 

Return of the Dories (illustrated), 

Quick Passages (illustrated), .... 

Song of the Winter Fisherman, 

First Trips, ....... 

Large Fish (illustrated), ..... 

Gloucester Harbor in 1830 (illustrated), . 

U. S. Fish Commission — Summer Headquarters in Gloucester, 

Around Cape Ann, ...... 

Sch. Sultana Towed by a Whale (illustrated), . 

Loss of Sch. Henrietta Greenleaf, . 

Gill-Net Codfishing in Ipswich Bay (illustrated), 

A Day at the Beach (illustrated), 

In Memoriam. List of Lost Men and Vessels of the Port of Glouc 

ester from 1874 to 1881, inclusive, . 
Table, giving the Losses for 52 Years, 
Welcome Home — A Romance in a Fisherman's Life 
The Fisher-Boy in the Storm (illustrated), 
Halibut Fishing among the Ice Floes, 
List of Vessels Belonging to the Port of Gloucester 
The Phantom Boat, ..... 

A Trawling Trip (illustrated), . 
Massachusetts Mackerel Catch for 74 Years, . 

The Fortune Bay Riot, 

Importance of Fish Culture (illustrated), . 

The Fisheries of the Olden Time, .... 

Salmon Fishing at the Mouth of the Columbia River, 

On the Beach in a Storm (illustrated), 

Narrow Escape of Sch. David A. Story (illustrated), 

Hammerhead Shark— The Shark's Mouth— Shark Fishin 

No More Sea, .... 



(illustrated), 



n 1850 (illus.), 



Oregon (illus.) 



(illus.), 



PAGE. 
3 

5 



9 
12 

J 9 

20 

28 
36 
44 
45 
47 
48 

49 

5° 
5i 
53 
54 
55 
58 

59 
61 

64 

66 

85 
86 
92 

93 
100 
102 
103 
108 
109 

JI 3 

IJ 5 
117 

120 

121 

i53 

I2 5 



CONTENTS 



Fishermen's Superstitions, 

The Old Fort and Gloucester Harbor in 1837 (illustrated), 
Foreign Commerce of Gloucester (illustrated), 

Fishermen Coming into Port. From the Home of the Fish to the 
Table of the Consumer (illustrated), 

The Regatta (illustrated), 

A Night in Boston Bay, 

Truthful and Startling Accounts of Tough Times, etc. (illustrated), 
The Frenchman's Stew and the Disgusted Irishmen, 
Dory Voyages across the Atlantic (illustrated), 

On Board a Mackerel Catcher, 

The Merry, Merry Mackerel Catchers (illustrated), . 

Saving the Cable, * 

A Summer Trip to Georges (illustrated), .... 

Rob's First Cruise (illustrated), 

Lost in the Fog (illustrated), 

Crippled on the "Home Stretch" (illustrated), 

The December Gales of 1876 (illustrated), 

Fearful Experience on Board Sch. Howard, 

Thacher's Island, ........ 

Foundering of Sch. Almon Bird, 

The Harbor Bar (illustrated), 

Ninety-Three Voyages to Surinam (illustrated), 
Recollections of a Veteran Fisherman, .... 
Making a Harbor in a Snow Storm, . . - 

An Old Boat (illustrated), 

Hand-Line Mackerel Fishing, 

"Setting Under Sail," 

[n a Fog on the Banks (illustrated), .... 

Lines on the Loss of Sch. Guy Cunningham and in Memory of he 

Master, Capt. Daniel O'Brien, 

Around the Wharves of Old Gloucester Half a Century Ago, 

The Jolly Yachtsman (illustrated), 

The Haddock Fisheries — Then and Now, 

A Mackerel Catcher Dressing Her Fare by Moonlight (illustrated), 

Frightened by the Moon, ...... 

Gloucester Harbor (illustrated), 

Adventures of Capt. Richard Murphy, .... 

The Open Sea, 

Gloucester's Exhibition at the Centennial, 

The Widow's Appeal to the Winds and Sea (illustrated), 

Picking the Nets and Trawls (illustrated), 

A Fishing Party (illustrated), 

"Not a Bene," 

The Mackerel Pocket, or "Spiller," .... 

On the Loss of the "Royal George," . . 

A Banker Discharging Her Fare (illustrated), . 

Loss of Life and Vessel Property from January 1 to April 1, 1882, 

List of Vessels Comprising the Gloucester Fishing Fleet, and their 

Owners or Fitters, 



JAMES CLARK, 

Dealer in all kinds of 

HARD AND SOFT 



WOOD 



Rear 7 and 9 Middle St., 
GLOUCESTER, Mass. 



Wood delivered in any part of the city free of 
expense. 



J, 



k 



Carriage Repair Shop, 

P A R SO ITS STREET, 

GLOUCESTER, MASS. 

4®° Horse Shoeing promptly attended to. 



-A*. T. ZEeOTXTIE 6z SOU, 
HACK, BOARDING, LIVERY AND SALE STABLE, 

MIDDLE ST., junction WESTERN AVE. 

&.LSO 

Boarding and Livery Stable 

AT' MAG NOMA, 

Hacks furnished for Weddings, Parties, Balls, Funerals, 
&c. Wagons furnished for Picnic and Pleasure Parties. 
Coaches connect with Railroad and Steamboat. 

Order Boxes at Burnham's Block, 179 Main Street, and 
J. C. Overbeck's, 58 Main Street, Gloucester. 




H. C. L. HASKELL, 

Insurance Agency, 

97 Main Street, 

Gloucester, - lagg. 



Only First-class Stock and Insurance Compa- 
nies represented. 

LOSSES PROMPTLY ADJUSTED. 



JOSEPH PARSONS, 

DEALER IN 

OIL CLOTHING, 

Gent's Furnishing Goods, &c. 

Post Office Building, 
EAST GLOUCESTER, Mass. 



On. Greozgres In. a, Stoim. 

THIS BEAUTIFUL PAINTING has been photographed, and copies 
may now be obtained at the store of PROCTER BROS. It is a 
fine picture, showing two schooners riding at anchor, and another jog- 
ging under a double-reefed foresail. Just such a picture as every fishing 
owner and fisherman wants. 

Selling for $2.00 and upwards, according to style of frame. Without 
frame, 75 cents. Call and see this picture. Sent by mail on reception of 
75 cents. 

Send 75 cents to Procter Bros., Gloucester, Mass., and receive by 
return mail one of the above pictures. 



WILLIAM P. DOLLIVER, 

At DOLLIVER BROS. GROCERY STORE, 

NO. 32 MAIN STBEET, GLOUCESTER, MASS. 



COMMISSION MERCHANTS 

IN 

CODFISH, MACKEREL 
Salmon, Shad, «Scc. 

124 North Delaware Ave., PHILADELPHIA, Pa. 

References .-—Messrs. B. S. Snow & Co., Boston, Geo. Perkins & Sou, Gloucester, Geo. Tre- 
fethem & Co., Portland, Me. 




M. P. ALDERMAN, 

— DEALER IN — 

3EWI]S6*JflflCflipg 



AGENT FOR THE 



New Davis, White, and Domestic. 

Xj®=- Machines of all kinds Repaired. 

114 MAIN ST., TAPPAN BLOCK. 



GROCER, 
Cor. School 4 Prospect Streets, 

GLOUCESTER. 

J8ST" First-class GROCERIES, BREAD, MILK, 
CROCKERY, CHINA, and WOODEN WARE, 
and articles usually found in a Family Furnish- 
ing Store, cheap for cash. 




MANUFACTURERS OF 

mm& ft BinB&fii W&XWMk 

<3-I2:TC3-E]IS -A-XjIE, TOITIC ZBEiEIS, «Ssc 
Bottlers of Ale, Lager Beer, Porter and Cider. Also, Agents for Milwaukee Lager. 

65 Duncan Street, Gloucester, 3Iass. 



WARRANTED THE BEST! 

cape ai Topper paint 

For Vessels' Bottoms. 

JAMES H. T^-JBixi, O-lo-ULcester, Mass. 

!3P For sale in all of the principal ports on the Atlan- 
tic and Pacific coast. 





RUBBERS. 



A Full Line of Seasonable Goods 
Always in Stock. 

ifeiJMIi* i®t©i 

Made to Measure, and 

Warranted to Fit. 



C. 0. HOWARD, 

64 Main Street, 
GLOUCESTER, - Mass. 



WHITE'S 
GROCERY, 



TIBBETS' NEW BLOCK, 
No, 98 Main St., 

Is the I/argest, Most Spacious and Finest 

Arranged in the City. First- Class Goods, ac* 
commodating Clerks, and goods delivered to any 
part of the Cape. All are cordially invited to 
visit this establishment. 

D. Augustus White, 

PROPRIETOR. 



qacfsoxt. 



t: 



(Successor to J. J. BURNS,) 



Has the Largest and Best Selected Stock of 

Silver and Silver Plated Ware, Fancy Goods, Etc., 
to be eotxhsto iint essex coxtisttit 

Particular Attention Given to Repairing. Also, Plain and Ornamental Engraving. 
All goods bought of me will be Engraved Free of Charge. 

164 Main street, Gloucester, Mass. 



Established 1849. 



John Pew & Son, 

Producers of and Wholesale Dealers in 




And Importers of 



331 Main Street, : : : Gloucester, Mass. 

JOHN PEW. CHARLES H. PEW. JOHN J. PEW. JOHN K. DUSTIN, JR. 






WALL & MY 



MANUFACTURERS OF 

CORDAGE and OAKUM, 




SPECIAL ATTENTION GIVEN TO 



FWMMMWEW$ BWTFN% 

NET ROPES, TRAWL LINES, &c, &o. 
Gangs of Rigging made to order at short notice. 

83 k 85 COMMERCIAL ST„ BOSTON, 



Importer. Wholesale and Retail Dealer in 

LsIolLjcl^ Tacikle, 

SHIP STORES, CHANDLERY AND PRODUCE. 
Opposite the Custom House, Gloucester, Mass. 

Quomau A. DAVIS, 

AND MINERAL WATER. 

PARTIES FURNISHED AT SHORT NOTICE. 

SAWYER BLOCK, (Basement,) 95 MAIN ST., 

O-loiacester, IMIass. 

-Mc BE]«PJiM]5 P. C^SWEMl*-^ 

Vienna Bread, Cake and Pastry. 

WEDDING CAKE A SPECIALTY. 

I am prepared to furnish any description of Cake and Pastry, and of a 
quality that has no equal in the city. When in want of goods in this line 
please give me a call. 

BAKEBY ANjB &VQRE 29 BUNQAN S3".. 



W.F.HILTON, 



Foot of Mansfield St., 
Gloucester, : Mass. 

Horses Shod in a Superior Manner, 



CROWELL & PATTANGALL, 

COMMISSION MERCHANTS 



L) 1UJ1VUJJMJJJJ) 

OILS, cSsc. 
No. 46 Water St., New York. 

A. L. CROWELL. L. O. PATTANGALL 

Particular attention paid to Eastern Produce, 



Fire, Life, Accident, 

— AND — 

In Sound Companies, 

— BY — 

H. L. FOLLANSBEE, 

Ins. Agent and Broker. 

T. H. FULLER & CO., 



— DEALERS IN — 



Dry and Pickled Fish, 

PREPARED AND BONELESS COD. 
SMOKED HALIBUT, &C. 

GLOUCESTER, . . . MASS. 

Boneless Fish a specialty. The Trade sup- 
plied at the lowest market rates 

Proprietors of the "Boss" and "Neptune" 
Brands of Boneless Pish. 



FitzJ.BabsonJr. 



ZDE-ivLiErEa iztr 



LU 



Of Every Description, 

01a,p"toO£brd.s, 
S2iing\Les, 

Cedar ^osts, 

D©@^, WIJSD0W FIOTE& 

Black Walnut, Whitewood- 
Pickets, Lime, Cement, 
Brick, Hair, Hard- 
wave, &c. 

www mv p^e, 

275 :M!a,In Street, 

@ldH€@st@?9 Mass. 



Q^ PATENT <§£> 




wk mm m mm 1 W £L 

MANUFACTURED BY 

NATHAN RICHARDSON 

10d Washington St., 

GLOUCESTER, Mass. 



PRICES :-4, 4 1-2 and 5 in., 30 in. Hand 
Wheel, $30.00; 6, 6 1-2, 7 and 7 1-2 in. 36 in. 
Hand Wheel, $40.00; 8, 8 1-2 and 9 in., 42 in. 
Hand Wheel, $50.00; 10 in. Hand Wheel, $60. 

Address all orders to NATHAN RICHARD. 
SOX, Gloucester, Mass. 

P. O. Box 338. 



esbury & Chase 



■MtTHE'N- 



IttAnri iHDttMi 






o 



OF GLOUCESTER. 



-Mc^EflDY-JIflDE CWWW^ 



AND 



FURNISHING GOODS. 





IN ESSEX COUNTY. 



No. n6 Main Street, Corner of Hancock. 



PREFACE. 




Nine years ago we published "The Fisher- 
men's Memorial and Record Book." It 
at once met with popular favor, and the two 
editions of 3500 copies have nearly all been 
sold. Orders have been received from Nova 
Scotia to California from those who once 
pulled a line on board a Cape Ann fisherman, 
— and from this class, especially, the work has 
received a most flattering reception. 
For the past two years we have been importuned by the fishermen to pub- 
lish another similar work, which would prove a companion volume, carrying 
the record of lost vessels and men to the date of publication, thus finishing 
the list to date, and adding such matter in relation to the fisheries as we had 
gathered in the interim. 

This volume is in answer to oft-repeated requests. We have endeavored 
to make it reliable and of special interest to that class of men whom we have 
known from childhood — the hardy fishermen, who man the fleet and earn 
their livelihood amidst constant peril ; the men who have done so much 
toward building up Gloucester ; the producers from old ocean's harvest fields, 
who draw deposits from Banks which have never yet refused to honor their 
drafts, who go forth at all seasons and brave the dangers of the sea in order 
to obtain an honest livelihood for themselves and those dependent upon 
them. 

Through the labors of the fishermen mainly, Gloucester has grown from 
a population of 6350 and a valuation of one million dollars in 1840, to a 
present population of 19,288 and a valuation exceeding nine millions, show- 
ing an increase in the brief period of 41 years of upwards of 200 per cent, 
in population and over 800 per cent, in valuation. Through his skilled 
operations and the advantages taken of his labors, the fishing business of 
Gloucester has grown from an enterprise of secondary importance to rank 
among the valuable producing interests of the country. In 1847, thirty -five 
years ago, the total valuation of the fishing product from this port was 
$589,354, and now, in round numbers, it exceeds $4,000,000 yearly. 

To this class Gloucester owes much, and they are entitled to the kindly 
consideration of every good citizen. Around them should be thrown every 



IV 



PREFACE. 



safeguard, morally and physically, and they should receive every encourage- 
ment possible. 

'* Long may their white sails dot the sea, 
In sunshine or in rain ; 
And welcome home their comings be 

From off the changing main. 
Long may the clippers make their way 

With gallant hearts to man 
As those who tread the decks to-day— 
The fishers of Cape Ann. 

" Their sharp prows cut the billows blue, 

On Georges Bank away — 
Their white sails fav'ring breezes woo 

In fair St. Lawrence Bay, 
Or glide along New Englaud's shore, 

Or where cool breezes fan 
The icy line of Labrador — 

The fishers of Cape Ann." 

We therefore send forth this our second volume with the hope that its 
contents may be instructive and pleasing to the class for whom it is intended, 
and bespeak from the fishermen everywhere a widely extended patronage. 

PROCTER BROTHERS. 





[model of a grand BANKER, 1741.] 

The Early Fisheries of Cape Ann 

Antedate the permanent settlement of her territory. In 1623 a fishing 
vessel from England, having completed her cargo in " Mattahusetts Bay," 
sailed for Spain, leaving fourteen men " in the country at Cape Anne," to 
await her return. Early in the next year the same ship, with a consort, 
came to Cape Ann, and after an unsuccessful fishing season set sail for 
England, leaving thirty-two men here. The following year three vessels 
came from England, and an effort was made to establish a colony here under 
the governorship of Roger Conant, but the attempt was abandoned in the 
course of the year, Mr. Conant and some of his companions removing to 
Salem, and founding the Colony of Massachusetts Bay. Fishing was also 
carried on at Cape Ann in 1624 and 1625 by the Plymouth people, who had 
two vessels fishing on our coast in the latter year. The permanent settle- 
ment of the territory was commenced prior to 1633, and something was 
again done in the way of fishing as early as 1639, although it does not 
appear that the early settlers of the Cape were fishermen. 

The fisheries of Cape Ann, as a considerable and permanent industry, 
seem to have become firmly established about 1722, when the business was 
conducted on a somewhat extensive scale at Annisquam, and also, in a lesser 
degree, in the harbor parish. Heretofore the business had been carried on 
in small sloops, built in the town, but in 1720 a few schooners were added, 
and this class of vessels soon became popular. Many of these schooners 
were of a burthen of fifty tons or more, and were therefore suitable for the 
prosecution of the fisheries on the Grand Bank and other distant fishing 
grounds. They were of a nearly uniform model, with square bows and high 



6 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

stern, and presented the strongest possible contrast to the swift clipper fleet 
of our own day. The model on the preceding page of a Grand Banker of 
1 7 41 will give a good idea of the appearance of these old-time craft. 

There was one of these craft in existence in 1878, the Manchester, 
which was then owned in York, Me., and was nearly one hundred years old. 
She was formerly of this port, being owned by Mr. Daniel Gaffney and 
others. She was 63.95 tons, built in Duxbury, Mass., in 1784. We do not 
know whether she is in existence now or not. 

About seventy of these vessels were owned in Gloucester in 1741, nearly 
all of which were probably employed in the Grand Bank fishery for codfish. 
Each of the crew kept an account of the number of fish he caught, and the 
proceeds of the voyage were distributed accordingly. That their earnings 
were far from uniform is shown by an account of three trips of sch. Abigail, 
Capt. Paul Hughes, to Grand Bank in 1757 ; the three trips occupied about 
six months, in which were included sixty-seven days fishing, the skipper 
being "high line " with a catch of 6643 fish, the "low line" taking 3435, the 
average catch of the crew of six men being 4506. From 1770 to 1775 
between seventy and eighty Gloucester vessels resorted yearly to the Grand 
Bank, and about seventy boats fished for cod, hake and pollock on the 
ledges near our own coast. These latter boats were mostly built at Essex, 
then the Chebacco parish of Ipswich, and from that fact received the name 
of "Chebacco boats," their model being shown in the following engraving. 
There was a large fleet of them owned here and in Rockport at the com- 
mencement of the present century, but they have all disappeared. 




The tonnage employed in the Cape Ann Fisheries at the outbreak of the 
Revolution could not have been far from forty-eight hundred tons, repre- 
sented by one hundred and fifty schooners and boats, and employing about 
six hundred men. The yearly product may be estimated at forty-eight 
thousand quintals, of a value of one hundred thousand dollars. 

The Revolution, of course, put an embargo on Bank fishing, as well as 
an end to the exportation of fish, and the business soon dwindled to insig- 
nificant figures. After peace had been declared the business was resumed, 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 7 

and some sixty vessels were sent to the Grand Bank, but in consequence 
of unsatisfactory returns the business soon languished. In 1804 the whole 
number of vessels over thirty tons burthen engaged in the Cape Ann fisheries 
was only eight, and for nearly half a century fishing was almost totally 
abandoned. 

With the decline of the Bank fishery, the Shore fishery commenced to 
attract increased attention. At the commencement of the present century 
some two hundred Chebacco boats, averaging about fifteen tons each, and 
manned by some six hundred men, were engaged in this fishery. The 
increasing importance of this industry created a demand for an increase in 
the capacity of the craft engaged in it, and about 18 10 the Chebacco boats 
began to give place to the "jigger" or "pinkey," of which class but a single 
specimen is now included in the Gloucester enrolment, — the sell. Senator 
built in Essex in 1831, and now owned by Capt. John Parker. The follow- 
ing is a specimen of a pinkey of the model of 1810. 




The Shore fishery reached its maximum in 1832, when it employed a ton- 
nage of 6463 tons, furnishing employment to 799 men, and resulting in 
a catch of 63,112 qtls. fish, of a value of #157,780, receiving also a bounty 
of $25,172 from the government. From this time, the business, except as 
a winter industry, began to decline, giving place to the mackerel fishery and 
other modern branches of the industry. 



8 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

A Eemarkable Escape, 

Two Fishermen Imprisoned in a Forecastle Eighty-Nine Hours without Light 
or Water and on Short Allowance of Food — Timely Rescue. 

The Nova Scotian schoonsr Codseeker was capsized off Cape Sable, May 
9th, 1877, with the supposed loss of all the crew except the captain and two 
others, who saved themselves in a dory. The schooner was struck under 
the weather-quarter by a sea at about 11 o'clock, P. M., and gradually 
careened over on her beam ends, in which position she remained. It was 
found impossible to clear the boat, and the three men in the dory, while 
engaged in bailing to keep her afloat, drifted rapidly to leeward, leaving 
a part of the crew clinging to the weather-side of the vessel, which they 
were unable to find again when their frail craft became manageable. After 
great difficulty and danger they effected a landing in the surf on the south 
side of Cape Sable Island soon after daylight on the morning of the 10th. 
A schooner was at once fitted away, in the face of a heavy gale, and at 1 1 
o'clock, A. M., twelve hours after the accident, the Codseeker was sighted on 
her beam ends, with five of the crew lashed to her side ; one of these was 
washed off and drowned before he could be reached, and the other four 
were rescued with great difficulty. The rest of the crew were supposed to 
have been drowned in the cabin or washed overboard, and the wreck was 
abandoned to her fate. On Sunday afternoon the wrecked schooner was 
fallen in with off Seal Island by the schooner Ohio, of Bucksport, Me., and 
was boarded by the captain and two of the crew, who fancied that they heard 
sounds proceeding from the forecastle, the gangway leading to which was 
entirely under water. On pounding on the side of the vessel they were 
answered by faint tappings from within, and came to the conclusion that some 
of the crew had been caught in the forecastle and imprisoned when the ves- 
sel capsized. They at once proceeded to cut a hole in the side of the 
schooner, by the fore-chains, and ef ected the rescue of two men who had 
been confined there without light, water or food, with the exception of a few 
small cakes, from n o'clock on Wednesday night until 4 o'clock on Sun- 
day afternoon. They were landed at their homes on Monday morning, to 
the great joy of their friends, who had given them up as lost. The feelings 
of these men in their long and apparently hopeless confinement, their sensa" 
tions when their comrades were taken from the wreck on Thursday, leaving 
them without means of making their presence known, the long, weary hours 
that followed, and the intense anxiety with which they became aware that 
the vessel was boarded again on Sunday afternoon, and their great joy when 
they knew their signals were heard and deliverance was at hand, can neither 
be imagined nor described. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



Gloucester Harbor in 1606. 

On the opposite page is presented a map of Gloucester Harbor, as it 
appeared to some French navigators who sought its shelter in 1606, repro- 
duced from a map first published in France in 1613. The accompanying 
account of this first visit to our harbor was translated from the "Voyages 
of Champlain," for the columns of the Cape Ann Advertiser, and so far as 
our knowledge extends has not elsewhere appeared in print in the English 
language. 

The alphabetical references on the map are as follows (the figures denot- 
ing the depth of water, probably in French metres, a metre being about 
three and one-fourth feet) : 

A, The place where our bark was anchored. B, Meadows. C, Little Isl- 
and. (Ten Pound Island.) D, Rocky Point. (Eastern Point.) E, The 
place where we caulked our boat. (Rocky Neck.) f, Little Rocky Island. 
(Salt Island.) G, Wigwams of the savages, where they cultivate the earth. 
H, Little river, where there are meadows. (Brook and marsh at Fresh 
Water Cove.) I, Brook. (Brook which enters the sea at Pavilion Beach.) 
L, Tongue of plain ground, where there are saffrons, nut-trees and vines. 
(On Eastern Point.) M, The salt water from a place where the Cape of 
Islands turns. (The creek in the marsh at little good harbor.) N, Little 
river. (Brook near Clay Cove.) O, Little Brook coming from meadows. 
(This brook cannot now be exactly located.) P, A little brook where they 
washed their linen. (At Oakes' Cove, Rocky Neck.) Q, Troop of savages 
coming to surprise them. (At Rocky Neck.) R, Sand beach. (Niles' 
Eeach, at Eastern Point.) S, The sea-coast. (Back side of Eastern Point.) 
T, The Sieur de Poutrincourt in ambuscade with seven or eight arquebusiers. 
V, The Sieur de Champlain perceiving the savages. 

In 1603 Samuel de Champlain sailed on a voyage to Canada and ascended 
the St. Lawrence as far as Cartier went in 1535. In 1604 he made a second 
voyage, as pilot for De Monts, lieutenant-general of L'Acadie. They sailed 
from Havre April 7, saw Sable Island May 1, and fixed the place for their 
winter residence on St. Croix Island in the St. Croix river. Sept. 2, Cham- 
plain left St. Croix for a cruise, sailed up the Penobscot as far as Bangor, 
and then returned to his winter quarters. June 18, 1605, De Monts and 
Champlain, with a small company, left St. Croix and cruised along the coast 
to the southward until July 16, when they reached "a cape, where there were 
three islands* near the main land, full of trees of different kinds. We named 
this place," says Champlain, "Cap aux Isles,t near which we perceived a 
canoe containing five or six savages, who came near our bark and then went 

*The "Three Turks' Heads" of Capt. John Smith; now Straitsmoutb Island, Thacher's 
Island, and Milk Island. tNow Cape Ann. 



io FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

away to dance upon the shore. I went ashore to see them, and gave to each 
a knife and some biscuit, which caused them to dance again better than 
before. I next made them understand, as well as I could, that they should 
show me the coast. After having drawn with a piece of charcoal the bay 
and the cape of islands where we were, they made a figure with the same 
charcoal of another bay,t which they represented very large, on which they 
put six pebbles at equal distances, giving me to understand by so doing that 
each of these stones denoted the habitation of a chief and his tribe. Then 
they drew at the said Longue Baie a river§ that we had passed, which ex- 
tends very far and has sand flats. These savages told us that those who 
dwelt in this country cultivate the earth as the others whom we had seen 
before. This place is in the latitude of 43 degrees and some minutes." 

On this voyage Champlain did not enter Gloucester harbor, but proceeded 
to Nauset, Cape Cod, from which place he returned to St. Croix. In 1606, 
however, he made another voyage, accompanied by the Sieur de Poutrin- 
court, sailing from Port Royal, whither the settlers had removed from St. 
Croix, Aug. 28th. They arrived at Saco Sept. 21, and continuing on their 
course, on arriving at the "Cap aux Isles," came to anchor at the entrance 
of the harbor. The next day they came up the harbor, and landed. " We 
saw," says the voyager, "some good ripe grapes, Brazil nuts, gourds, and 
some roots which the savages cultivate. They gave us some of these in 
exchange for little trifles we had given to them. They had already gathered 
their harvest. We saw two hundred savages in the place, the chief of which, 
Quiouhamenec, came to us with a cousin named Cohonepec, for whom we 
made good cheer. Onemechin, a Saco chief, also came to see us, to whom 
we gave a coat, which he soon gave away to another because it did not fit 
him. We also saw a savage who had been wounded in the heel, while run- 
ning towards the bark, and had lost so much blood that he fainted. Many 
others came around him, singing some time before they would touch him ; 
then, making certain gestures with their hands and feet, they moved his 
head, and, upon their blowing upon him, he came to himself. Our surgeon 
dressad his wound and he went gaily away; 'but, two hours after, he came 
again,' adds L. Escarbot, 'the most jocund in the world, having put about 
his head the binding cloth wherewith his heel was wrapped, for to seem the 
more gallant.' 

"The next day, as some of our men were caulking our shallop, the Sieur 
de Poutrincourt saw in the woods a number of savages who came with the 
intention of making us some trouble. They were going to a little brook 
which is upon the narrow part of a bank which leads to the mainland, where 
our people wash their linen. As I was walking along this bank, they per- 
ceived me, and to put a good face on the matter, because they saw that I 

^Massachusetts Bay. §The Merrimac. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. n 

had discovered them, they began to shout and to prepare for dancing. Then 
they came towards me with their bows, arrows, quivers and other arms, and, 
as there was a meadow between them and me, I made signs to them that 
they should dance again, whereupon they formed a circle and put all their 
arms in the centre of it. They had hardly commenced to dance, when they 
saw the Sieur de Poutrincourt within the wood, with eight arquebusiers, 
which astonished them. They stopped dancing, and retired from one side 
and the other, with apprehension that we should do them some harm. We 
said no more to them, however, and only made some demonstrations of 
rejoicing. Then we returned to our boat in order to put to sea and get away 
from them. They wanted us to stay one day, saying that more than 2000 
men would come to see us, but not willing to lose time we would not longer 
delay. I believe that they wanted to surprise us. 

"They have some cultivated land and are clearing it up all the time. See 
how they do it ! They cut the trees at the height of three feet from the 
ground ; then they burn the branches upon the trunk and sow their corn 
between the cut wood ; and in the course of time they take away the roots. 
There are also meadows there sufficient for nourishing a number of cattle. 

"This port is a very good one, having sufficient water for vessels, and 
affording shelter behind some islands. It is in the latitude of 43 degrees, 
and we have named it Le Beau Port." 

These French explorers next sailed to Cape Cod, leaving Quiohamenec 
and his tribe in quiet possession of their territory, which is not known to 
have been again touched by the feet of civilized men till it was occupied by 
a few English fishermen in 1623. We should be glad to know something 
of the doings and adventures of the fourteen men who composed this last 
company, but no pen has traced the history of the second landing at Le 
Beau Port. 



12 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 




A Winter's Trip to Georges. 

BY WALTER HILL. 

Outward Bound — On the Banks — Good Fishing — A Sleeping Giant — Change 
of Scene — Fishermen's Rations — Fating under Difficulties — The Giant 
Arouses — To keep our Courage up — Boarded by a Sea — Narrow Escape — 
A Thrilling Sight — At Daybreak — In their Place — After the Storm — Home- 
ward Bound. 

Let us suppose ourselves on board a trim fishing craft, like the above, 
with a good supply of frozen herring on board, running out from Glouces- 
ter harbor, bound to Georges Banks. We are heading E. S. E., with a trip 
of 140 or 150 miles before us. The wind is N. W., and the sky is cloud- 
less, and we arrive on the grounds the day following our departure, pretty 
early in the day, and " bring to " in about 30 fathoms of water, furl the can- 
vas and bend the riding-sail. The lads are soon at work with their lines. 
There are several vessels in our vicinity, and the two that we spoke before 
"bringing to'' gave us but little encouragement. But this is not to be de- 
pended on, for they would say the same thing, probably, if the fish were 
"solid" around them. Some skippers direct the crew to stop fishing when 
a vessel comes along making inquiries of this nature, so as to mislead them. 
There is some justification for this practice in winter time, since the great- 
est peril arises from too much crowding, and there are plenty of men in 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 13 

charge of vessels who are reckless enough to anchor "right on top" of 
another vessel if they should see the latter haul in half a dozen fish. 

However, we don't find much here, and on the following morning make a 
"berth" to the eastward and "club her" (/. e. anchor) in about 40 fathoms. 
Several vessels in sight here too ; two or three quite close enough. Here 
we meet with better fishing, although not anything extra, and by night the 
boys average about 35 fish each. 

The following morning, the wind being brisk from the westward, we are 
called betimes, and the " morning watch " reports as we sit down to break- 
fast that he has not had a "bite" yet. This does not disconcert us much, 
as the fish often refuse to bite for an hour or so after daylight ; and so it 
turns out in this instance, for we soon find ourselves pretty briskly employed, 
and are able to keep ourselves warm with constant hauling. It is a busy 
scene, but the reader will readily perceive that the intensity of the cold, even 
on a moderately fine day in February, precludes much pleasurable emotion 
warming one's breast, aside from the cold satisfaction that one feels that 
every fish taken is so much added to the common good. 

Well, by night we are all fairly tired out, you may be sure, and no one is 
sorry to stretch out in his bunk and enjoy a snooze. The "high-line " to-day 
caught 85 fish, and the "low-line " 60, a more than average day's fishing. 

Two more fine days of glorious fishing weather. The boys have been 
making good use of the time, too, and some of the " knowing ones" estimate 
about 35,000 weight of fish in the hold. 

We have now reached Thursday evening, and will note the appearance 
of the weather particularly, as we expect an early change. The "glass " is 
six or seven-tenths above thirty, and that indicates the approach of an 
"Easterly."- The wind has been light from the S. W. all day, falling at 
times to a calm ; then light zephyrs spring up and chase each other along 
in quick succession. It is one of the few really enjoyable days we get dur- 
ing the winter months in this climate, and some of the sanguine ones have 
already, in their mind's eye, started for home with a full fare. There is 
some "swell" on it is true, but no more than would fairly represent the 
respiration of such a peaceful, sleepy giant as the one on whose bosom we 
rest. On such occasions this monster becomes to me endowed with speech, 
and seems to say with a benevolent smile, "Don't be scared of me ; I never 
harmed anything in the world of my own accord ; it is only when that aggra- 
vating brother of mine, Boreas, provokes me to fury with his spiteful 
whistling and howling that I unwillingly work so much destruction — but I 
am always sorry for it afterwards." And going on so, the lazy, hulking, 
good-natured giant half inclines me to believe that he is sincere. I should 
certainly scout any other idea but for the recollection of certain slaps he 



i 4 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

has hit me from time to time, which on two or three occasions have well- 
nigh sent me into "the sweet bye-and-bye." 

Darkness has come upon us while we have been musing, and as we may, 
before many hours, perhaps, be in the midst of a storm, we had better take 
time by the forelock and secure a nap while we may. The "night-watch" 
has already been set, the signal light is burning brightly, and even our 
neighbor, the giant, is breathing less perceptibly, as if inviting us, too, to 
repose. 

Friday morning. Decided change this morning. The wind has sprung 
up from the N. E. during the night, and the clouds betoken a heavy snow- 
storm at hand. Our sanguine friends of last night look as if brick walls had 
sprung up between them and their airy hopes. On the principle of " making 
hay while the sun shines," every man is doing his utmost to swell his total 
of fish to a respectable figure while there is still a chance to fish. The cod, 
too, are biting pretty freely, and the vessel begins to surge and creak to her 
cable uneasily, like an impatient horse champing the bit and pawing the 
ground. 

The skipper, who was up betimes, is uneasy, also, and now goes forward 
to inspect the cable, and then below to consult the barometer, which this 
morning stood almost on 30.80, but has since commenced to fall, bringing 
along occasional spits of snow. He is particularly anxious about the bear- 
ings of the three or four vessels in our immediate vicinity, — one right astern 
and another on the "starboard quarter" giving him much concern. 

The light scattered snowflakes now fall thicker and faster. The neigh- 
boring vessels become more and more indistinct, till they fade out of sight 
altogether, and leave us alone with the increasing wind, the blinding snow 
and the rising sea ! Our giants are evidently about to commence one of 
their wildest bouts. 

There is the skipper's voice. What does he say ? "Haul in your lines ! 
Heave in 'strads' and give her cable." The " strads " are strands of rope 
plaited together, and are bound tightly around the cable to prevent it from 
chafing in the hawse-pipe. Having taken them off we " pay out " 60 or 70 
fathoms, and " strad her up " again as before. We also loose the foresail, 
put three reefs in it, and roll it up again, so as to have it ready in case the 
vessel goes adrift from her anchor. (It is usually customary in anchoring 
on Georges to double-reef the foresail before furling it.) What fish there 
are on deck we " dress " and heave below, as well as everything else that is 
loose. 

All being made snug some of the crew " stow away " their lines, while 
the more eager ones heave over again and continue fishing. But one drops 
off, and another drops off, till the last man fishing calls to those below to 
" set the watch," and when relieved goes below himself. It is customary 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 15 

to have a watch on deck at all times ; one in ordinary weather, in very rough 
weather two in a watch, and in heavy weather the whole crew hold them- 
selves in readiness for a jump at any moment. 

About 3 P. M. the cook invites us to supper; for fair weather or foul the 
inner man has to be taken care of. Let us take this opportunity of observ- 
ing his hard weather arrangements. He has a kettle each of tea and coffee 
always on the stove, and one or the other is served with every meal. The 
provender consists of hash, fish chowder, salt beef, bread and butter, ginger- 
bread, and dried apple or corn starch pies. A good deal depends on the 
cook however, and his mode of catering. With a good cook everything 
goes smoothly. There are guards on the table, to keep things from rolling 
and sliding off ; but these are not effectual in very stormy weather. 

And now darkness approaches apace. Looking to windward is a painful 
operation, and one can only snatch a glance. Nothing is to be seen but 
a blank prospect of snow, which strikes the face with the sharpness of hail. 

This is why fishermen so much dread a N. E. storm, it places them so 
utterly at the mercy of chance. There may be a vessel two seas off bearino- 
down to sweep both to destruction. Like the sword of Damocles, the danger 
is always hanging over their heads as long as the storm continues. But of 
its actual approach there is short warning. A careless "lookout" would be 
inevitable destruction. 

The "night watch" being "set/' on such occasions as this the rest of the 
crew usually muster in the cabin, all " oiled up." The "old hands" will be 
reminded of similar breezes in the past, and entertain us with narrations of 
narrow escapes, etc. Old Uncle Parsons details the story of his narrow 
escape in the 2d April breeze ; also in the 4th March breeze ; and again 
when he successfully rode out the gale in which 75 other vessels cut their 
cables and several were lost. Another "old fogy," usually reticent, makes 
quite a little history of his experience in the Georgesman that "turned over" 
with them while "lying" on the Bank in a heavy breeze; and, although 
dismasted, righted herself and fetched them home safely after all. 

We begin to be quite oblivious of the present breeze, when a heavy sea 
strikes us, careens the vessel over, and sends everybody tumbling down to 
leeward. The skipper, who has been standing in the companion-way, 
"bobs" down and hauls over the "scuttle," just in time to prevent a drench- 
ing sea from pouring down. The watch on deck keeps out of harm's way 
by getting on the "foregaff," clear of the wildly-rushing water on deck. 

This little " flare-up " of excitement has just subsided, when the hands on 
the lookout give a loud cry. Although none know what was actually said, 
all recognize the fact that imminent peril was expressed in the manner and 
tone, and all hands at once rush on deck. The skipper has already placed 
himself at the cable, with a sharp axe, and every eye is strained into the 



1 6 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

gloom to distinguish the fatal light — for light it is — surely approaching! 
There is hope yet that the coming craft may drift across our bows without 
striking us, for the tide is setting over that way somewhat. Yonder she 
emerges from the gloom, and we can distinguish the dim outline of her spars 
and hull. It seems as if nothing short of a miracle can prevent the clanger 
from culminating. The skipper has twice lifted his axe to strike the sever- 
ing blow at the cable, but the remembrance of the vessels to leeward of us 
causes him to hesitate. But for this we should doubtless have cut at the 
first alarm. Now she rises on the crest of a sea, right ahead of us, and five 
seconds more will tell the tale. The suspense which thrills every breast 
suspends respiration ; almost stops circulation. The tongue is powerless, 
and all the faculties are concentrated in the eyes. Every gaze is riveted on 
the vessel as she rises, more on the bow this time, and every man draws 
a great breath of relief, for we know that the danger is past! 

She is now abreast of us, but going away slowly on the starboard quarter. 
So near is she that we feel her cable running up across our own, but we 
know from its buoyancy that there is no anchor on the end of it, so we have 
no fear of its hooking hold of us. Away into the gloom, out of sight, drifts 
the fated vessel, her crew unconscious of the new perils so near at hand, to 
leeward. The drift she was making when we lost sight of her would take 
her very, very near the vessel whose bearings we took on the starboard quar- 
ter before the storm set in. God help the poor fellows ! To be adrift on 
Georges Bank at such a time, among a fleet of vessels, is a danger only 
to be realized by those who have been through some experience of the kind. 

Is it by chance that the snow shortly after this suddenly ceases? The 
cessation is of but short duration, but as it clears to leeward all eyes are 
searching for the lights, and soon one is descried as it rises on the sea. We 
try to see the other — we know there must be two in that direction. The 
next sea reveals to all that there are two lights there, together ! A loud 
and horrified cry announces this discovery, and then every man seems frozen 
to a statue. The terrible interest centered in those entangled lights seems 
to suspend every sense but that of sight, which it intensifies. 

This scene has scarcely become distinct, when like a vision it fades away. 
The snow falls again, and the lights disappear, whether behind the curtain 
of snow, or whether they sink into the embrace of the furious giant who was 
yesterday so softly enchanting us, we are in doubt. But of the end of the 
encounter there is, alas ! no room even for doubt. 

Daylight breaks, or rather, creeps, on us at last. I question if there is 
a man on board, be he infidel or Christian, who does not feel a sense of 
thankfulness as he recognizes the long-deferred light slowly spreading over 
and through the scene. The crests of the breaking seas become visible 
further and further. The snowflakes show up in relief against the increas- 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 17 

ing dawn, and soon all the daylight the storm will permit is ours. The cook 
does not lay any table for breakfast, and we go down and snatch what we 
can to eat, and swallow some hot coffee. Several ugly seas boarded us 
during the night, and bulwarks are stove, gurry-kids smashed, and other 
damage done, but all thought of this dwarfed into insignificance in the face 
of the thrilling scene we were going through. 

As the morning advances it becomes evident that we have seen the 
extreme fury of the storm. The "glass" is beginning to rise, and towards 
noon the snow slowly ceases. The wind is also moderating. We endeavor 
in the afternoon to snatch a nap. I try hard to sleep, but with poor success. 
My imagination is excited, and my sleep is fitful and troubled with dreams. 
I fancy myself on board the lost vessels during the last few hopeless min- 
utes, and appear to have plenty of leisure to observe the effects as shown in 
the different faces around me. I mark expressions of wild supplication, of 
cool resignation, of steady bravery, of desperation, and wicked bravado even 
yet. Here I recognize the face of a young man who has often spoken of 
his hope of soon going across the ocean to see once more his mother and 
sisters there, and endeavoring to get them to accompany him back. There 
is another who has amassed a respectable sum in the savings bank, and has 
hopes of soon investing in a vessel himself, and of marrying at the same 
time. In another face I recognize a frank, cheerful young fellow, just 
beginning the world, full of hope and boisterous merriment, and whose only 
fault is that he is too free for his own good. And lastly, another familiar 
face I have often seen ; mark the stolid, stupid indifference of expression 
even now. He is a married man, and has a deserving wife, but he himself 
is a drunkard, long since lost to all sense of self-respect. It is ever so 
when a man oversteps the bounds of blessed moderation and allows all his 
mind, soul and strength to centre on the bottle. What thoughts occupy his 
mind in this awful moment? Is he consumed with remorse? Has he a 
thought for that woman he has wronged and made miserable all her life 
long? Does he think of his neglected children ? Or is he merely wishing 
for a parting grasp and swig of that bottle which should be a comfort, but is 
so often made a curse ? 

" Over the brink of it, 
Picture it, think of it, 
Dissolute man." 

Just as these words are running through my mind somebody shakes me 
and says I am talking "gibberish." This is somewhat mortifying, for I could 
have emphatically declared that I was giving expression to the above quota- 
tion from Hood. 

I go on deck, and find other restless ones fishing. I follow suit and get 
a few fish. Before dark we "heave in " "slack cable." The wind is in the 
southward now, but it will come round to the westward, I manage to get 



i8 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



some sleep through the night and rise refreshed. I find the wind is N. W., 
the air keen, and everything dry and hard with frost. It is freshening, and 
it is more than we can do to keep warm, hauling all the time. The fish soon 
freeze stiff after they come on deck, and they are biting briskly. Several 
good halibut, too, have been secured. 

At night we have to " pay out " more cable again, and the breeze promises 
to be heavy, but there is only one vessel in our vicinity now, and with good 
clear weather we do not fear any trouble. It blows heavy through the night, 
and just about daylight a heavy sea strikes us and makes the vessel tremble. 
The watch soon after puts his head down the " scuttle " and says, " She's 
adrift." We all jump out, slip on "oil-skins," and get on deck. The fore- 
sail is loosed and set ; then we proceed to heave in the cable, which we find 
has been chafed pretty well through by sawing across a rock on the bottom. 

We are now standing with our head to the nor'ard, and as we have 
received a good deal of damage, the skipper decides to make for home. 
The wind moderates, so we make sail and pound ice — for forward our vessel 
is a sheet of ice, and ropes, windlass and cable are all buried in several 
inches of it. But all hands turn to with a will, and things are soon put to 
rights. The wind becomes more favorable, and we make all sail and head 
for Gloucester. Joyful faces are watching for us there; but, alas! for the 
poor hearts to whom we bring tidings of bereavement — of fathers gone for. 
ever ; of brothers nevermore to return, and sons whose manly right hands 
will never earn honorable support for aged parents again. 

Few of the affluent have any idea of the dangers encountered and braved 
to procure those savory dishes of fish which they so highly appreciate ; and 
I am afraid few even stop to enquire whether the fishermen are well or illy 
paid for their labor. There is one duty, however, which people of fortune 
ought not to neglect, in my opinion, and that is, to contribute liberally to 
the support of the widows and orphans of whom this arduous calling makes 
so many. 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



19 



Prices of Mackerel and Codfish in the Gloucester Market Sept. 1st, for the 

Past 52 Years. 



PRICES OF MACKEREL PEK BBL. 



PRICES OF CODFISH PER QTL. 



No. 1. 


No. 2. 


No. 3 


$5.00 


$4.50 


$2.62 


5.75 


4.75 


2.62 


5.00 


4.00 


2.75 


5.72 


4.72 


2.85 


5.72 


4.72 


3.35 


7.00 


6.00 


4.00 


9.00 


8.00 


5.00 


7.75 


6.50 


4.12 


11.00 


9.25 


5.50 


12.50 


10.50 


7.00 


12.75 


10.50 


5.50 


12.00 


10.00 


6.00 


9.00 


6.00 


4.00 


10.12 


8.12 


6.00 


9.50 


7.50 


5.50 


13.00 


10.50 


6.87 


9.12 


6.25 


3.87 


12.75 


8.25 


4.25 


9.00 


6.00 


3.37 


12.00 


7.00 


3.50 


10.12 


8.12 


5.00 


10.00 


6.50 


5.12 


9.00 


7.00 


5.75 


11.50 


9.50 


7.50 


15.00 


12.25 


5.00 


19.00 


11.00 


6.25 


13.00 


18.OO 


6.00 


15.00 


12.50 


8.50 


15.50 


12.50 


8.50 


14.50 


12.50 


8.50 


16.87 


11.00 


8.00 


7.50 


4.50 


3.50 


8.25 


6.00 


4.50 


14.00 


9.25 


6.50 


30.00 


20.00 




22.00 


15.00 


9.75 


23.50 


18.25 


13.25 


19.25 


12.50 


9.75 


20.50 


14.00 




21.00 


12.00 


7.50 


24.00 


10.00 




11.25 


7.25 


6.25 


15.00 


9.50 


7.25 


20.00 


12.25 


9.25 


13.25 


9.00 


7.00 


16.25 


10.25 




15.00 


6.75 


5.50 


16.50 


12.50 


8.00 


18.00 


8.00 


5.00 




5.00 


3.00 


14.00 


7.00 


4.00 


14.00 


6.00 


4.00 



#2.12 






2.50 






2.58 






2.46 






2.00 






2.62 






3.00 






2.67 






3.25 






3.50 






2.25 






2.37 






2.37 






2.75 






2.17 






2.25 






2.56 






3.12 






2.25 






2.12 






2.37 






2.75 






3.25 






3.00 






3.50 






3.25 






3.50 






3.75 






3.50 






Georges. 






4.25 






4.00 






3.12 






3.80 






5.75 






8.50 






8.00 






8.00 






6.12 






7.37 






7.37 






6.87 








Bank. 


Shore. 


4.50 


$4.00 




5.75 


5.00 




5.50 


5.12 




5.25 


5.00 




5.25 


4.75 




5.25 


4.50 




4.75 


4.25 




4.25 


3.50 


$3.75 


4.00 


3.62 


3.87 


5.50 


4.50 


5.00 


5.00 


3.87 


4.50 



FISHERMAN'S OWN BOOK. 




Leaves from a Log-Book— Eemarkable Adventures and 
Hair-Breadth Escapes, 

BY J. W. COLLINS. 

The following incidents — extracts from a daily journal kept by the writer 
while engaged in the fresh halibut fishery, and remarkable and well authen- 
ticated personal experiences of others — it is hoped, will convey to the reader 
some idea of the vicissitudes and perils to which our fishermen are exposed 
while pursuing their hazardous occupation. At the same time some knowl- 
edge may be gained of the daily life of a class of men among whom may be 
found examples of courageous daring and hardihood unsurpassed by any- 
thing which has ever been written. There are few, indeed, among those 
who have been engaged in the Gloucester fisheries who cannot relate truth- 
ful though startling tales of their personal adventures. Though none of our 
fisheries are exempt from peril, it may be safely said that the winter cod- 
fishery on Georges Bank, and the trawl fishery, especially that for haddock 
and halibut in winter, are the most dangerous of all. The last named 
—the fresh halibut fishery — from its peculiar nature furnishes much that is 
interesting, and will be especially considered here, though in quoting from 
the log-book, much of the writer's own experience must necessarily be given. 
So sharp is the competition in this business that fearful risks are taken in 
securing fares and carrying them to market. 

The operation of setting and hauling the trawls goes on with all possible 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 21 

diligence whenever the weather will permit it. And in this matter of suita- 
ble weather the fishermen are not at all fastidious, nor can they afford to be. 
Thus the boats are often caught out in heavy squalls and driven away to 
float helplessly for days and nights until their occupants succumb to hunger 
or succeed in reaching some other vessel. Other dories are upset on 
" rough " days, and though the men are sometimes rescued, more frequently 
they become exhausted and sink in the icy waters. Again, the men will put 
out in the midst of the dense fogs so characteristic of the Newfoundland 
Banks, and lose the position of the vessel in spite of loud fog-horns ; or, in 
winter, they will be overtaken by blinding snow-squalls, hiding everything 
in a thick and turbulent waste of dashing spray and drifting snow. 

On idle clays, or when, late in the evening, the crew.gather in the forecastle 
for their usual lunch before turning in, you will hear thrilling tales of these 
adventures, and escapes by only the breadth of a hair from boundless torture 
or sudden death. Nor are these "yarns" — they are reserved for the gaping 
crowd around the stove at the corner grocery ashore. When fo'c's'le men 
compare notes, each one knows the rest are critics, and dares not draw the 
long bow — at least not beyond the limit of true dramatic effect. Yet who- 
ever heard that these narrations of peril ever deterred a dory's crew from 
putting off when it seemed necessary? Mr. Stedman, you are right : — 

" Brave are the hearts that man 
The fishing smaeks of Gloucester, the sea-boats of Cape Ann." 

STARTING FOR THE BANK. 

The fittings, including ice, provisions, water, 
boats, and fishing apparatus, having been tak- 
en on board and snugly stowed away, next 
comes the day of sailing, which oftentimes is 
quite an episode in the fisherman's life, since 
he must then part with all he holds dear, 
knowing full well what dread uncertainties 
^ lie between his departure and return. The 
sailing clay may occur at any season, and 
each time may vary in some particulars, though 
the general features remain the same. The account of the day of which 
I now write I find in my journal under date of January 24, 1879. 

The men composing our crew came down to the wharf, alongside of which 
lay our vessel, about half-past eight o'clock in the morning, many of them 
bringing a small calico bag containing a small supply of clean clothes, and 
providing themselves at the fitting-out store with pipes and tobacco for the 
trip. Two of the crew are sent off to the "baiter "—a vessel lying at anchor 




22 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

in the harbor with flag flying — and soon return with four or five thousand 
stiffly frozen herring, which are hastily stored in the hold under straw to 
prevent their thawing. A little before noon — the tide serving at that time — 
we got underway and worked out of the harbor with a moderate southwest 
wind. Aftei passing Eastern Point our course was shaped east by south, 
and we went skipping away before the wind, leaving Brace's Cove, Bass 
Rocks, and Thacher's Island with its two tall lighthouses, on our port hand ; 
while astern the snow-covered shores of Magnolia, and the more distant land 
about Salem and Marblehead soon grew indistinct, and was finally lost to 
view. 

In the meantime the ropes have been coiled, dories turned bottom up and 
securely lashed, and die vessel pumped out ; while our ears have been 
pleasantly greeted by the ding dong of the cook's dinner bell, calling us 
away from " straightening up things on deck." The crew is divided into 
two gangs for meals, the table in the forecastle not being large enough to 
accommodate all. One of the second gang now came aft saying: "I'll keep 
her along, skipper, while you get dinner," whereupon I gave up the wheel 
which I had held since starting, and went with the first gang down to din- 
ner. For dinner we had the usual first meal at sea, which, hastily prepared, 
consists of boiled salt beef and potatoes, white biscuits, pilot-bread and 
butter, strong tea and fried beefsteak. This bill of fare is very much 
changed as soon as the "Doctor" (cook) has time to prepare a greater 
variety, and though beefsteak or other fresh meat is rarely seen after the 
first few days out, the table is well provided with plenty of good bread, cakes, 
pies, &c, and last, though not least, the finest fish are served up in a manner 
rarely equalled elsewhere. 

After dinner the patent-log is put out, a note made of the bearing and 
distance of the land, and then everybody is called aft to "thumb the hat," in 
order that the watch may be set. All hands now stand around an inverted 
hat, taking hold of it so that the thumbs are on top of the rim. The skipper 
then turns away his head, and, reaching over, touches one of the thumbs, 
and then counts around from left to right any number previously decided 
upon. The first one that the count reaches has the first watch. The 
counting then begins at the next thumb with "One," and so on until each 
man knows his watch, and with the injunction from the skipper, " Remember 
now whom you call," the performance ends, and the one having the first 
watch takes the wheel. 

We now have an opportunity to notice critically the vessel, upon the mer- 
its of which we depend not only for the successful issue of the voyage, in a 
pecuniary sense, but for the preservation of life itself. She is a clipper 
schooner of 80 tons, with fine lines and broad beam, but "snug-rigged," that 
is, carrying but one jib, as befits the winter weather. Forward, on the 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 23 

larboard side of the foremast, lies coiled a huge pile of manila cable, four 
hundred fathoms, or nearly a half mile in length. The main deck is divided 
into small compartments by "checker planks" eight or ten inches wide, set 
on edge, crossing each other at right angles and securely fastened in their 
places ; they are to prevent the fish from sliding across the deck, and on top 
of these are placed the dories, three on each side of the vessel. 

The cabin is ten or eleven feet square, tastefully finished in ash and black 
walnut, and containing four bunks — one for my own use, the others for such 
members of the crew as have secured them by lot, since there are no under- 
officers to claim them by right. The furniture of the cabin consists of a 
stove securely fastened to the floor, a marine clock, looking-glass, barome- 
ter, and chronometer, the latter being placed on the seat which runs around 
the side of the cabin, supplying the place of chairs. The forecastle, also, is 
nicely finished, and forms the dining-room of the vessel and the sleeping 
apartment for part of the crew. A door opens from the forecastle into the 
forehold, where the provisions, water and fuel are stored, and where the 
cook has his pantry. 

Our crew, aside from the cook and myself, number twelve men : stout, 
hardy and brave fellows, selected for their proficiency as seamen and fisher- 
men. Each one is known to be " a good man on board a vessel," which 
means that he is an agreeable shipmate and can always be relied on to 
perform any necessary duty without flinching. 

But while we have been looking over the vessel, the wind has increased; 
the land has sunk below the horizon, and our little schooner is rushing 
along at a lively rate, occasionally sending her lee rail under, as she lurches 
in the rising sea ; while frequent dashes of spray come flying over the 
weather-quarter rail. A rival vessel, also bound to the Banks, is close by, 
and although our topmast bends and seeim likely to go over the side, we do 
not shorten sail until we see a movement for that purpose on board the 
other. We have already carried our light sails long enough, and the stay- 
sail comes fluttering down to the deck, like a great white bird ; tbe gaff-top- 
sail is also clewed up, and away goes a man to furl it, nimbly climbing the 
rigging to the mainmast head. 

A little before seven o'clock, P. M., our vessel took a heavy lurch to lee- 
ward, sending her lee rail so far under that, when she straightened up, the 
deck was nearly full, and several bucketsful came down the companion-way, 
wetting the bed clothes in the lee bunks, and also the boots lying on the 
floor. This episode called forth exclamations more forcible than polite from 
the occupants of the lee bunks, and shouts of laughter from their compan- 
ions, who could see only the ludicrous side of the accident. The sea by this 
time had risen sharp and choppy, and so frequent were the lurches — the 
mainboom often going under to the slings — that we soon after double-reefed 



21 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

the mainsail. This done, I go below for the night, giving the usual order 
to "call me if there is any change in the force or direction of the wind." 

Thus ends the first day out ; and never, perhaps, were words written 
which so fitly describe the situation of the outward bound fisherman as those 
of Byron, when he says : 

" Once more upon the waters ; yet once more, 

And the waves beneath me as a steed 
That knows his rider. Welcome to their roar ! 

Swift be their guidance wheresoe'er it lead; 

Though the strained mast should quiver as a reed, 

Still must I on : for I am as a weed 
Flung from the rock, on ocean's foam to sail 
Where'er the surge may sweep, the tempest's breath prevail." 

RUNNING FOR THE BANK IN A GALE. 

Sunday, January 26//1, 1879. — This day began with a strong breeze, west- 
nor'west, and the barometer, which was on 29.15, indicated still more wind. 
The night (or early morning) was intensely dark, and having previously 
taken in and furled the mainsail and gaff-topsail, we double-reefed the fore- 
sail at 1.20 A. M., and took the bonnet out of the jib. At this time the wind 
was increasing rapidly, blowing in sharp puffs, and hauling to N. N. E., 
while it grew cold very fast, causing the flying spray to soon congeal into 
ice on the rigging and such portions of the hull as were not too much under 
water. At 4.30 A. M. the wind had freshened to a gale, and the sea ran 
sharp and high, causing our vessel, which was running with the wind abeam, 
to occasionally take a heavy lurch to leeward. Fearing the dories might be 
injured if we continued on our course, we furled the jib and hove to under 
the reefed foresail until 7 o'clock in the morning, at which time we kept off 
again, the wind in the interim having changed to N. N. W., which was fair 
for us, though it was still blowing hard.* It was intensely cold all the 
morning and ice made rapidly on deck and about the rigging. Notwith- 
standing this, however, we set the jib and riding-sail soon after breakfast, 
and a half hour later saw a vessel at anchor ahead, which, as we approached 
nearer, we knew was the Everett Steele. There was no one to be seen on 
her deck, and as we passed close to her stern our men, most of whom had 
gathered aft orf*the quarter, joined in a general shout. This had the desired 
effect, and four or five of the Steele's crew rushed up, bare-headed and 
stocking-footed, to be greeted by the laughter of our fellows as we went 
dashing by. At 10 o'clock, A. M., we passed a brig, which was lying to 



*The schooner Howard, of Gloucester, was knocked down and came near being lost in 
this gale; the Thresher, of the same port, also had her deck swept, and it is believed by 
many that the Gwendolen, which was also bjuud to the Banks, went Jjwu the same day, 
since she was never seen afterwards. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 25 

under main-staysail. She was badly iced up, and appeared to be laboring 
heavily, rolling her lee yard arms nearly to the surface of the water. 

To one standing upon the deck of our little schooner at this time, the 
scene, though grand and impressive, had a decidedly wintry and dreary look. 
The ice-covered hull and rigging, the dark masses of snow-laden clouds 
driven to leeward by the gale, which shrieked and whistled through the 
ropes, and lashed into the wildest fury the foam-flecked waters, piling them 
into huge waves, was a sight, that, once seen, could never be forgotten. 
But on we went, now plunging down the side of a big sea, again lurching 
heavily, filling the deck with water, which, as the vessel straightened up 
again, went dashing over to the weather-side, often out over the rail, and 
through the binnacle into the cabin. 

The remark of one of our boys, that " any one who can't swim had better 
take a back seat," was certainly very apt, but the gravity of the situation, and 
the damage incident to running in such a gale, with the sea on the quarter, 
was better expressed by the order frequently shouted to the man at the 
wheel, "Watch her sharp now! Keep your eye to wind'ard, and if you see 
a big one* coming swing her off and let her take it stern to." 

During the afternoon there was a dangerous and nasty cross sea running, 
rendering it extremely unsafe to continue on our course during the night. 
We therefore took in the jib and furled it before dark, and at 5 o'clock, P. M. 
hove to under double-reefed foresail and riding-sail. At 7 P. M. the gale 
still continues with undiminished force, but, like a gull with its head under 
its wing, our litle "sea-boat" rises and falls, safely breasting the foam-crested 
waves that go seething by, leaving behind them a phosphorescent track, 
which lights up the surrounding darkness, giving it a peculiarly weird and 
strange appearance. Thus closes this day, the events of which I now sit 
down to write before turning in for the night. 

WASHED OUT OF A DORY— A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE 

FOR LIFE. 

On a breezy day in November, 1SS0, the crew of the sch. Grace L. Fears, 
— a fresh halibut catcher which lay at anchor in the "Deep Water" — started 
out to haul their trawls. Although it was rough, the waves frequently break- 
ing, and the wind blew in gusty puffs, it was not considered exceptionally 
dangerous to venture out by the fishermen, since the tide, which ran quite 
strong to windward, would materially assist them in again reaching the 
vessel. 

In one of the dories were William T. Lee and Jack Devine. When these 
two had safely hauled the larger part of their trawl, and the boat, which 

*A large breaking wave. 



26 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

had on board several halibut, lay hawsed up in such a manner that her side 
was somewhat exposed to the sea, a huge curling wave came tearing along, 
striking with full force both men and dory, the former being thrown over- 
board, and the latter nearly filled with water. Devine went over the side, 
but, fortunately for him, was near enough to grasp the gunwale of the boat 
and climb into her. With Lee, however, the case was quite different. The 
sea broke over the dory with such violence as to throw him a distance of a 
dozen or fifteen feet from her. He was so much encumbered with heavy 
clothing and sea-boots that he could not prevent himself from sinking. In 
the meantime his dory-mate fastened the trawl to the bow of the boat so as 
to keep her as nearly head to the sea as possible, and, frightened for his own 
safety, made desperate efforts to bail out the nearly filled dory. As good 
fortune would have it, however, the slacking of the trawl allowed the dory 
to drop slowly to leeward, and the tide also swept the struggling man slowly 
to windward, who, as he sank for the second, and, as he thought, last time, 
felt his hand come in contact with the trawl about two or three fathoms 
under water. It is said that a drowning man will clutch at a straw, and it 
requires no great stretch of imagination to understand how eagerly this stout 
line was grasped by the sinking fisherman. Though quite exhausted by his 
efforts, he still retained his wits and his indomitable courage, and at once 
began to haul himself toward the dory, hand over hand, along the line. 
Almost as soon as he began this process, one of the stout hooks caught in his 
forefinger and passed completely through it near the end. To an ordinary 
person this would have been certain death under such circumstances, but, 
determined not to give up while life lasted, he reached the other hand as far 
up on the trawl as he could, and, with a desperate pull, tore the hook com- 
pletely through or out of his finger end, making an ugly wound.* He was 
now able to proceed, but, just as he got his head above water and caught 
his breath, just at the very last instant of endurance, with his hand clutching 
the gunwale of the boat, a second hook caught in the leg of his trousers. 
Though he shouted to his companion, the man rendered no assistance, fear- 
ing that, should he move to the side, the water-logged dory would upset. 
Lee mustered all of his fast ebbing energies and, by one last and mighty 
effort, pulled himself over the side of the boat, and fell senseless to the 
bottom. All of this, though long in the telling, occupied a very short time, 
but the seconds were eventful ones ; and perhaps no better voucher for the 
invincible pluck of our fishermen could be given than by the statement of 
the single fact that, after recovering somewhat from his exhaustion, unmind- 
ful of his torn and bleeding finger as well as of the breaking waves sweeping 



*The mutilated finger was seen by the writer while yet it remained unhealed, and its t>rn 
and mangled appearance gave ample proof of the desperate nature of the struggle in which 
the wound had been received. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



27 



by, Lee would not return to the vessel until he had finished hauling the 
trawl, thus accomplishing the task he started out to do. 

The above is one of the many instances that might be mentioned to show 
that some men seem endowed with a luck all their own in escaping from 
perilous positions when their companions, apparently in no worse a scrape, 
have lost their lives. This is largely due, to be sure, to their indomitable 
pluck and perseverance in efforts to save their lives so long as a breath 
remains, and a presence of mind that enables them to make the most of any 
fortunate circumstance. 

LOSS OF THE FOREST BELLE. 

The schooner Forest Belle was lost on her first trip to the Grand Bank in 
the latter part of 1868, and was supposed to have foundered in a furious 
tornado that swept the western Atlantic in December of that year. She was 
commanded by Capt. Moses M. Welch, a young man of great promise, who 
was so much esteemed by those of his own profession that several of his 
crew were skippers, who, having hauled up their own vessels, chose to make 
this trip to the Bank with him. In every sense the crew was an excellent 
one, and the vessel was considered one of the finest that ever sailed from 
Gloucester. The following comprised the crew : Robert M. Collins, Daniel 
Luf kin, Randall McLellan, Arthur Ulmer, Sylvanus Gott, Geo. Bartlett, Geo. 
Kane, John A. Kelly, James McDonald, Wm. Hickman and Wm. B. Rowe. 



Come, all you hardy fishermen, 

Who winter fishing go ; 
"Who face those northern wintry blasts — 

Fierce storms of hail and snow — 
Pause here awhile and listen, 

While a dreadful tale I tell 
Of a winter gale and the sad, sad loss 

Of the schooner Forest Belle. 

A finer vessel ne'er was launched, 

Or o'er the wild waves flew ; 
And braver hearts were never known 

Than those of her hardy crew. 
Twelve sturdy m n n in prime of life, 

Daring winter gale and storm, 
Left tender wives and mothers dear 

To watch for their return. 

'Twas in the Fall of sixty-eight, 

November, the nineteenth day, 
These fearless men, with a nor'west gale, 

From Cape Ann bore away : 
Bound away unto the Grand Bank, 

O'er the white-capped waves they fly; 
Ah ! little dreamed those seaman bold 

That so soon they all must die. 



With tender words and fond caress 

They parted from those dear. 
" Cheer up," said they. " we'll soon be back, 

If God our lives doth spare." 
With aching hearts wives, mothers, weep — 

For none can tell the tale 
Of the Belle's sad fate, but all suppose 

She foundered in a gale. 

"What those daring men did suffer 

No one will ever know, 
Upon that wild and wintry sea, 

"When howling winds did blow. 
The raging waves engulfed their bark — 

No hand was there to save 
That little band of gallant ften 

From a cold and watery grave. 

God bless the mourning friends they've left, 

And comfort those who weep 
For husbands, sons and brothers dear, 

Now buried in the deep. 
Though parted from their loved ones here, 

There is a brighter shore, 
Where they may meet them once again • 

There partings are ao mor* 



28 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 




Notable Fishing Fares. 

There is considerable rivalry among the Cape Ann skippers in the matter 
of bringing in large fares, and this friendly competition not only develops 
the skill and daring of the fishermen, but keeps them ever on the alert to 
try experiments and to discover new methods of catching fish and new fish- 
ing grounds, thus bringing into play those faculties which tend to promote 
the fishing interests and add to their productiveness. We have kept a rec- 
ord of many of these big trips, and take much pleasure in publishing them 
in the pages of the "Fishermen's Own Book." 

BANK TRIPS. 

The best codfish fare ever landed at this port was in October, 1880, when 
the Br. sch. Kelso, Capt. Benjamin Hines, arrived here from Grand Bank 
with 220,000 lbs. large codfish, 90,000 to 100,000 lbs. medium and small 
do., and 1600 lbs. fletched halibut. The next best Bank fare was 300,000 
}bs. codfish, in round numbers, landed in 1878 by sch. Herman Babson, Capt- 
Charles J. Lawson, which schooner* also landed 195,000 lbs. on one.trip in 
1880. The five best Bank fares ever landed by a single vessel were received 
n the sch. Grand Master, Capt. Byron Hines, of Pubnico, N. S., sailing 
from this port : in 1875 she landed a fare of 240,000 lbs. ; in 1877, one °^ 
270,770 lbs., stocking $6,580; in 1878, one of 250,000 lbs.; in 1880, one of 
250,000 lbs.; and in 1881, one of 275,000 lbs. Among other good codfish 
fares we notict those of the Centennial, 250,000 lbs. in 1878, and 250,000 
lbs. in 188 1. Among other good fares in the last named year the Webster 
Sanborn hailed for 250,000 lbs., the New England for 225,000 lbs., the Shir 
Ion of this port, Hattie L. Neunnan of Beverly, and Water Lily of Yarmouth, 
N. S., each 200,000 lbs. ; the Davy Crockett, from a hand line trip to Western 
Bank, for 210,000 lbs., and the Thresher for 190,000 lbs. codfish and 10,000 
lbs. halibut. For the week ending Sept. 8 six Grand Bank fares were 
received, aggregating 1,115,000 lbs. codfish, including two fares of 250,000 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 29 

and one of 225,000 lbs.; from March 8 to October 15 the Jbsie M. Calder- 
wood made five trips to the Western and Grand Banks and Banquereau, 
taking in round numbers 400,000 lbs. codfish and 55,000 lbs. halibut, stock- 
ing $10,475, believed to be the best season's work in the Bank codfishery. 
The largest amount of Bank codfish ever landed at Gloucester in a single 
week was 3,620,000 lbs., twenty-five fares, for the week ending July 27, 1876, 
the total codfish receipts for that week being 4,448,000 lbs.; for the week 
ending Sept. 16, 1880, fifteen fares of 2,057,000 Bank codfish were landed 
at Gloucester, and for the week ending Sept. 13, 1877, 2,000,000 lbs. Sch. 
Plymouth Rock took 225,000 lbs. on one Bank trip in 1878. On a five 
months' trip in 1873 sch. Carrie P. Morton, Capt. Charles A. Keene, took 
192,000 lbs. codfish and 28,050 lbs. halibut, stocking $7,888, the crew shar- 
ing $326.16, the best stock on one trip in this fishery of which we have any 
record. Sch. Knight Tei?iplar, Capt. Michael McDonald, stocked $7,681.25 
on one trip in 1873, being absent only two and one-half months. In 1877 
sch. Concord, Capt. John Dago, landed 185,000 lbs. codfish and 57,000 lbs. 
halibut, from a Western Bank trip, stocking $7,100 in four months and two 
days. Sch. Ben: Perley Poore, Capt. Charles H. Nute, landed 180,695 lbs. 
codfish and 10,597 ^s. halibut from a fourteen weeks' trip in 1872, stocking 
$6,345.69, the crew sharing $257.29. In 1879 the Corinna H. Bishop arrived 
home in August from a seventeen weeks' Bank trip, with 186,780 lbs. large 
codfish, 2.315 lbs. small do., and 1,214 lbs. fletched halibut, having sold 
14,000 lbs. in Newfoundland, giving her a catch of 204,309 lbs. fish. 

FLETCHED HALIBUT. 

The largest Bank fare of fletched halibut ever landed at Gloucester was 
153,044 lbs. in sch. Reunion, Capt. Belcher Torrey, in 1868. She had also 
23,875 lbs. codfish, and stocked on a twelve weeks' trip $8,354 (the best 
Bank stock on one trip yet reported), the crew sharing $286.63. 

FRESH HALIBUT. 

The largest fare of fresh halibut ever landed at Gloucester was 140,000 
lbs., by sch. G P. Whitman, Capt. Jerome McDonald, from a Bank trip in 
1877. The next largest fare was landed by sch. Centennial, Capt. Dennis 
C. Murphy, from a three weeks' trip in 1876, landing 129,577 lbs. and 5,000 
lbs. codfish; on her first ten trips the Centennial took 1,160,000 lbs. halibut. 
In 1875 scn - Chester R. Lawrence, Capt. Thomas Hodgdon, took on one trip 
126,566 lbs. halibut and 5,480 lbs. codfish. The next year sch. Davy 
Crockett took 103,000 lbs. on her first trip, which sold at 6 and 3 cts. per lb. 
for white and gray. Sch. William T. Merchant took 103,450 lbs. in twenty- 
five days, in 1868. The best fare landed in 1881 was brought in by the 



3 o FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

sch. Plymouth Rock; she weighed off 96,539 lbs. halibut and 1,500 lbs. cod- 
fish, having a sufficient quantity of unsaleable halibut to bring her catch up 
to 100,000 lbs. ; her stock was $2,550, the crew sharing $85, on a voyage 
occupying four weeks and two days. Among the receipts in one week in 
1876 were 114,540 lbs. in sch. Carrie P. Morton, 99,980 in sch. Davy Crock- 
ett, 95,000 lbs. in sch. Edwin C. Dolliver, and two other vessels had upwards 
of 70,000 lbs. each the same week. The largest amount of halibut ever 
received in Gloucester in a single week was for the week ending Feb. 10, 
1881, when the receipts were 740,000 lbs. from the Banks and 122,509 lbs. 
from Georges, 862,500 lbs. 

The best stock on a single trip in the Bank halibut fishery was made by 
sch. N H. Phillips, Capt. William McDonald, in 1871. She landed 47,650 
lbs. halibut and 9,390 lbs. codfish, stocking in five weeks $5,361. Ii two 
successive trips that season she stocked $9,142, the crew sharing $353.42 
for nine weeks' fishing. The same year sch. Mary Carlisle, Capt. William 
Thompson, stocked $4,738.75 on one trip, the crew sharing $236.25. In 
1879 sch. Thresher stocked $4,464.82 on one trip. Sch. Sarah P. Ayer 
stocked $4,251 on a trip in 1869. In 1868 sch. Aphrodite, Capt. Randall 
McDonald, stocked $4,246.37, and the previous year the same vessel stocked 
$4,126 on one trip; sch. William T. Merchant, Capt. Nelson McKenney 
stocked $4,200 on a twenty-six days' trip in 1868. Sch. C. B. Maiming 
Capt. Charles H. Nute, stocked $4,033 on a halibut trip in 1869. In 1880 
the best stock was made by sch. Willie M. Stevens, her catch of 81,000 lbs- 
selling for $3,870; time about three weeks. The best stock in 1881 was 
made by the Grace L. Fears, 75,000 lbs., $3,553, crew sharing $121.79. On 
one trip in 1876 sch. Epes Tarr was absent three weeks, and took in four 
days' fishing 54,500 lbs. white and 24,442^. gray halibut, whic . s^ld for 
$3,165, the crew sharing $120. 

The best season's stock in this fishery was made by sch. Gertie E. Foster, 
Capt. Edward Morris, in 1875. I" eleven months she landed 668,517 lbs. 
halibut and 19,220 lbs. codfish, stocking $26,071.56. The next best stock 
was that of sch. Willie M. Stevens, Capt. John Mclnnis, in 1880 ; from 
Dec. 24, 1879, to Dec. 15, 1880, her gross stock was $22,107.35, and her net 
stock $20,959.06, the crew sharing $706.06. The best season's stock in 
this fishery in 1881 was made by Capt. Nathaniel Greenleaf in sch. Grace 
L. Fears, $20,385 net. Sch. Racer, Capt. Walter M. Fait, stocked $22,000 
in 1866 ; Capt. William Thompson was high line of the crew, making $1,300. 
In 187 1 Capt. Thompson made nine trips in sch. Mary Carlisle, stocking 
$17,275.53, her crew sharing $858,62. In 1869, '70, '71, Capt. Thompson 
stocked $46,871. In 1873, '74, '75, Capt. Edward Morris stocked $64,769.78. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 31 

GEORGE'S FARES. 

The largest codfish fare ever received from Georges was 123,115 lbs., 
round, with 862 lbs. halibut, by sch. £. R. Lane, Capt. Solomon Jacobs, in 
1875 ; the Lane stocked $2,554 on this trip, her crew sharing $90.81, and 
the cook making $156.62. In 1881 the sch. Triton, Capt. Edward Groves, 
weighed off from one George's trip 54,600 split codfish, 30,000 lbs. round 
do., (equal to about 111,000 lbs. round), and 3,000 lbs. halibut.* In 1875 
sch. Carl Schurz, Capt. Neil S. McPhee, landed a Georges fare of 107,200 
lbs. codfish and 3,800 lbs. halibut, stocking $2,580; crew shared $105. 04^ 
cook made $143.95. Sch. Everett Steele, Capt. Joseph Goslin, weighed off 
102,075 lbs. on one trip in 1869. In 1868 sch. William J. Dale, Capt. 
David A. Osier, landed a fare of 100,575 ^ Ds - On a fourteen days' trip in 
1867 sch. Montana took 100,162 lbs., and in two successive trips that year 
landed 183,362 lbs., making a gross stock of $3,417.32. In 1866 the Mad- 
ame Roland had a fare of 99,338 lbs. In 1877 the Rivcrdale took 93,378 
lbs., and the William J. Dale 91,500 lbs., each on one trip; the Hattie S. 
Clark, Capt. Hiltz, took 172,500 lbs. on two trips in three weeks. In 1879 
the Sarah P. Ayer had a trip of 60,000 lbs. split codfish. The best fare in 
1880 was 66,000 lbs. split codfish and 1,500 lbs. halibut, in sch. Hyperion, 
and the next best fare 65,000 lbs. split codfish and 2,000 lbs. halibut in 
sch. David M. Hilton. On five Georges trips in the Spring and Summer of 
188 1, sch. Procter Brothers took 21,544 codfish in number, weighing 171,000 
lbs. Of her crew of eleven men Mr. George Williamson was high line, 
taking 2,417 fish, while the low line caught 1,431. 

The best stock on a single Georges trip was $2,833.29, by sch. Madame 
Roland, Capt. James Lunderkin, in 1865 ; in two trips that year she stocked 
$5,050.75. Sch. Everett Steele, Capt. Cash, stocked $2,824.55 m J 865, 
$2,760.69 in 1869, and $2,738.95 in 1866, on single trips. In 1865 scn - 
Laughing Water, Capt. Joseph Goslin, on eleven Georges trips stocked 
$14,843.84, and afterwards going to the Bay of St. Lawrence for mackerel, 
stocked $3,110.46, making her season's stock $17,954.30; the high line 
made $1,105.37, and her cook $1,402.93. 

GREENLAND TRIPS. 

The largest fare of fletched halibut ever landed at this port was 179,575 
lbs., by sch. Bunker Hill, Capt. John McDonald, from a Greenland voyage 
in 1881, stocking $9,000. The same year sch. Herman Babson, Capt. Charles 
J. Lawson, took 178,000 lbs. fletched halibut, and a quantity of other fish on 
the coast of Greenland, stocking $11,734.60 on a four months' trip; the 

*In 1879 the Triton had a trip of 69,012 lbs. split codfish and 1,100 lbs. halibut. 



32 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

crew shared #400.71 each, and the skipper's share and commission amounted 
to $872.07. In 1870 sch. Caleb Eaton, Capt. John S. McQuinn, landed 
177,300 lbs. fletched halibut, and a quantity of salmon and fins, from a four 
months' Greenland trip, stocking about $20,000. 

HIGH PRICES FOR HALIBUT. 

In the Fall of 1865 Capt. L. A. Story, now of Magnolia, caught from a dory 
while engaged in hand-line fishing in Boston Bay, a halibut weighing 194 
lbs., which was sold to Messrs. Parsons & Co. of Commercial Wharf, Bos- 
ton, at 28 cents per pound, making the total price $54.32. The largest 
price ever received for a fare lot was 21 cts. per lb. for white and 14 cts. for 
gray, for 9,000 lbs. brought in by sch. T. L. Mayo. In January, 1881, 
halibut sold at 16 and 12 cts. per lb. for white and gray. 

QUICK BANK AND GEORGES TRIPS. 

Sch. Cunard, Capt. Garrett Galvin, made a salt trip to the Banks in 7^ 
weeks in 1878; sch. Carrie P. Morton, Capt. Charles A. Keene, in 2^ 
months in 1873 ; sch. Ben : Perley Poore, Capt. Charles H. Nute, in 14 weeks 
in 1872 ; sch. Reunion, Capt. Belcher Torrey, a fletched halibut trip to the 
Banks in 12 weeks in 1868. In 1877 sch. Augusta H. Johnson, Capt. George 
A. Johnson, made a fresh halibut trip to Western Bank in 13 days, and the 
same year sch. Edward Grover made three such trips inside of 14 days each 
and another in 16 days. In 1881 sch. Grace L. Fears, Capt. Nathaniel 
Greenleaf, made a Grand Bank trip for halibut in 14 days, 6 hours, securing 
40,000 lbs. halibut, the crew sharing $91.50. The same year sch. G. P. 
Whitman, Capt. Jerome McDonald, made a Grand Bank trip in 16 days, 
taking 61,580 lbs. halibut; on four trips that year the Whitman averaged 
4 weeks each, the crew averaging $80 each per trip. The Nathaniel Webster 
also made a Bank halibut trip in 16 days in 1881 ; the David A. Story, Capt. 
Joseph Ryan, one in 18 days, stocking $3,021, crew sharing $103.62 ; sch. 
H. A. Duncan, in 17 days, took 80,000 lbs. codfish. Sch. Frank/in Snow, 
Capt. McDonald, stocked $2,385.47 on an 18 days' trip to Western Bank in 
1868, and sch. Aphrodite, Capt. McDonald, stocked $4,126 on a 20 days' trip 
in 1867, the crew sharing $171.51. In 1880 sch. Alice M. Williams, Capt. 
Dennis C. Murphy, made a Banquereau trip in 16 days, returning with 38,000 
lbs. halibut. Sch. Willie Seavy, Capt. Robert White, of Newcastle, N. H., 
with a crew of eight men, sailed on a Western Bank trip April 16, 1881, and 
arrived at Portland May 18, with a fare of 450 qtls. prime codfish, the result 
of 21 days' fishing. In 1867 sch. Hattie S. Clark, Capt. Hiltz, took 90,000 
lbs. codfish in a week's trip to Georges, and made two trips inside of 21 
days, landing 172,500 lbs. cod. In November, 1881, sch. Alice M. Gould, 



FISHER MEN'S OWN BOOK. 33 

of Portland, made a La Have Bank trip in 5 days, securing 45,000 lbs. fish, 
which sold for $1,200, the crew sharing $80 each, or $15 per day.* 

Long Trip. — Sch. Commonwealth arrived home from a Bank halibut trip 
in April, 1881, having been absent 7^ weeks. She was 16 days on the 
passage home. 

SHORE FISHING. 

The largest haddock fare ever caught by a Gloucester vessel was landed 
at Boston in February, 1880, by sch. Martha C, Capt. Charles Martin. She 
weighed off 72,000 lbs., which sold at $2.50 per 100 lbs., stocking $1,803, 
the result of two days' fishing on a seven days' trip. The expenses of the 
trip were $137, and the crew of fourteen men shared $86 each. In 1881 
the same vessel and skipper had a very successful season ; on a January trip 
she landed 70,000 lbs. fish, about two-thirds haddock and one-third cod ; on 
a February trip to La Have Bank she took 63,000 lbs. haddock and 20,250 
lbs. codfish, stocking $1,742.50, the crew sharing $84.38 ; in March she 
stocked $1,784 on one trip, the crew sharing $94; in April she struck 
a good school of fish on the western edge of Western Bank, and in two 
days' fishing took 80,000 lbs. codfish and 12,000 lbs. haddock, the largest 
"shore" fare yet reported by a Gloucester vessel. Up to the first of May, 
1881, the Martha C. landed about 550,000 fresh fish, stocking more than 
$11,000, the largest stock for the time employed ever made in the shore 
fishery. 

The largest haddock fare ever landed at Gloucester was 70,380 lbs., taken 
on Georges in 1878 by sch. E. L. Rome, Capt. Sewall W. Smith, on a five 
days' trip. 

The largest haddock fare ever taken in one clay's fishing was 51,700 lbs., 
with 2,500 lbs. codfish, taken in 1877 by sch. Paul Revere, Capt. John 
Bentley, who stocked $10,036.83 from Oct. 6, 1876, to May n, 1877. On 
one trip to Georges in 1877 sch. Cora E. Smith, Capt. Sewall Smith, took 
52,679 lbs. haddock ; in three trips she landed 124,375^3.; during February 
and March she landed 203,095 lbs., and stocked $4,500. In 1881 sch. Edith 
M. Pew, Capt. William Corliss, landed 60,000 lbs. haddock on one trip ; in 
two trips, occupying three weeks, the crew shared $100 each. Sch. David 
J. Adams, Capt. Richard Murphy, stocked $2,117 on a ten days' trip, the 
crew sharing $107. In three weeks sch. Charles S. Tappan, Capt. John 
Bentley, stocked $3,200. Sch. Aberdeen landed 50,000 lbs., sch. Anable 
50,000 lbs., and sch. Paul Revere 40,000, each on one trip. In 1879 sch. 
Alice M. Hawkes, of Swampscott, took 49,000 lbs. codfish in one day, and 
sch. George A. Upton took 40,000 lbs. on one trip. For the year ending 

*In November, 1881, sch. Emma 8. Osier made two pollocking trips inside of 5 days, 
landing 53,000 lbs. pollock. 



34 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Feb. 4, 1881, sch. Mystic, Capt. John McKennon, stocked $19,770 shore 
trawling, the crew sharing $785.12 each. In five months in 1872-3 sch. 
Eastern Queen, Capt. William Corliss, stocked $10,250 net in the haddock 
fishery, her crew sharing $560. The same season sch. Jennie B. Thomas, 
Capt. Henry Thomas, stocked $8,000 in five and a half months. In 1870-1, 
sch. Angie S. Friend, Capt. McClain, stocked $7,700 in five months, and 
sch. Maud Midler, Capt. Nathaniel Smith, $6,600 in four months. Sch. 
George H. Hagnet, 32 tons, of Harpswell, Me., stocked $5,500 in five 
months' shore fishing in 1881. 

MACKEREL FARES. 

Sch. Edward E. Webster, Capt. Solomon Jacobs, stocked $24,146 in the 
Summer and Fall of 1881 in the mackerel fishery. In the Summer and Fall 
of 1880 Capt. Jacobs in the Webster, dispgsed of 1,300 bbls. mackerel fresh, 
and 2,600 bbls. pickled, stocking $19,745.76 gross. The same season sch. 
Alice, of Swan's Island, Me., took 3,700 bbls., of which 900 bbls. were 
disposed of fresh, stocking $19,548.75. 

The season of 1881 was a very favorable one for the mackerel catchers. 
Sch. Lizzie D. Saunders, Capt. Alfred Saunders, of Pigeon Cove, stocked 
$1,700 in two weeks, the crew sharing $73 ; sch. Ivanhoe made eleven trips 
for fresh mackerel in seventeen days, being two or three days in port ; sch. 
Wildfire, Capt. George M. McClain, took 1,309 sea-packed barrels in six 
weeks; sch. Northern Eagle, Capt. George H. Martin, stocked $1,852.50 in 
five days ; sch. Isaac Rich, of Swan's Island, Me., took 2,000 bbls. up to the 
middle of July ; sch. Frank Butler, of New London, Conn., caught 762 bbls. 
in three weeks; sch. David A. Osier 160 bbls. in forty-seven hours; sch. 
Col. J. H. French 500 bbls. in eight days, and sch. Piscataqua 400 bbls. in 
four days ; sch. Dreadnaught, of Portland, Me., 205 bbls. in twenty-one 
hours; sch. Flcetwing 210 bbls. at one haul; sch. Madawaska Maid 225 
bbls. in one day, and 1,000 bbls. in five weeks; sch. William M. Gaffney 
900 bbls. in twenty-one days ; sch. Alice, of Swan's Island, Me., 4,804 bbls. 
to Oct. 21. Sch. Wildfire stocked $3,200 in two weeks. From April 20 to 
July 26 sch. S. R. Lane landed 2,400 bbls. ; for the twenty months ending 
Aug. 1, 1881, this vessel stocked $25,000 fishing. In October, 1876, sch. 
Mary Odell, Capt. McLain, made one haul in Barnstable Bay of more than 
the crew could take care of; she took 300 bbls., gave away no and lost 
several hundred through a hole in the seine. The Mary Odell had a crew 
of 12 men, and up to Sept. 22 stocked $11,000, the crew sharing $436.96; 
the next week she landed two good fares, and the week following two more, 
at Boston. In 1877 sch. James A. Stetson took at one haul, off Block Island, 
140 bbls. large fat mackerel, which sold at $20 per bbl. ; Sch. Moses Adams, 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 35 

Capt. Solomon Jacobs, stocked over $2,400 in three short trips in one 
week, in October, 1878 ; in 1876 sch. Herbert M. Rogers, Capt. Richard 
Warren, took at one haul, off Block Island, 165 bbls. fat mackerel, which 
sold at $25 per bbl., stocking $4,125 ; sch. Gen. Grant, Capt. Coas, stocked 
$11,254.94 net on two Bay trips in 1864; sch. Nor' Wester, Capt. Daniel 
Hillier, stocked $9,721.74 on one Bay trip in 1864. In three months of the 
same year sch. Gen. Sherman, Capt. George W. Miner, took 612 bbls., and 
stocked $9,696 ; sch. John Bright, Capt. Aaron Riggs, took 639^ bbls., and 
stocked $10,711.21 gross ($9,518.34 net), on one Bay trip in 1866 ; the high 
line made $288.73, low line $106.06, cook $382.78 ; she went through Canso 
after Aug. 1, and packed out Nov. 15. 

The earliest receipt of new mackerel was in 188 1, when the sch. Edward 
E. Webster, Capt. Solomon Jacobs, sailed from Gloucester March 15, and 
arrived at New York March 23, with 140 bbls., which sold for $3,000. In 
1878 10 bbls. were taken by sch*. Lilian, of Noank, Conn., and landed at 
Lewes April 5, selling in New York at 20, 15 and 10 cents each. First 
fare, 150 bbls., sch. J. J. Clark, Capt. Charles Lee, at New York April 13. 
The first receipts in 1880 were April 4; in 1879, April 14; in 1876, April 
24 ; in 1877, April 25 ; in 1875, April 30. 

DORY FARES. 

In the Winter of 1877-8, Leander Godditt of Pigeon Cove took 2,200 lbs. 
codfish in one day ; John E. Woodbury and his son Elbridge, of Folly Cove, 
took 3,900 lbs.; Albion Knowlton and Howard Parsons, 3,850 lbs.; Warren 
and Howard Poland, 3,800 lbs.; J. W. Marchant and B. F. Saunders, 3,300 
lbs.; John Woodbury and C. Sammis, 3 200 lbs. The same Winter a Mr. 
Taber of Nantucket launched his dory, pulled two miles to the fishing 
grounds, took 2,114 pounds of codfish, and pulled ashore, all on one tide, 
not exceeding three hours. Feb. 26, 1880, Mr. George Woodbury of Folly 
Cove had three tubs of trawls set, comprising 1,500 hooks. He hauled his 
trawls and got for his hard day's work five pounds of fish. The next day 
Mr. Ezra L. Woodbury overhauled six tubs of trawls and did not get a fish. 



36 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



The Old-Time Fishery at 'Squam. 

BY GIDEON L. DAVIS. 

Tradition of the Early Settlement — The Vessels Used and Voyages Pursued — An 
Interview with '•'■Uncle Ben" Who Tells What He Knows about the Old- 
Time Fishery — " Uncle foe's" Narrative — " Uncle 'Bijah's" First Trip — 
Various Kinds of Craft Used in the Fisheries — A Grand Bank Trip in 1816 
or 18 1 7 — Largest Fishing Fare Ever Landed on Cape Ann. 

The business of fishing at 'Squam must have commenced with its settle- 
ment, for the not-over-procluctive soil could have afforded but a scanty 
livelihood, and the early settlers were doubtless attracted by the products 
of the sea, which were plentiful and easily obtained. Tradition, documen- 
tary evidence and landmarks tend to prove that the fisheries commenced 
here at a very early period, and flourished for many years. The places 
which tradition asserts were once the sites of fishing establishments, hardly 
a trace of which remains, and the fishing stands of a later period, with their 
wharves and warehouses crumbling to decay, mark two eras of prosperity in 
the fishing business that have long since passed away. 

Could we go back in imagination to that earlier era ; could we bridge over 
the lapse of years that have intervened ; and tell how the fishermen lived — 
how they captured their fish — describe their clumsy and ill-contrived crafts 
— recount the dangers and difficulties they encountered — we might compile 
a chapter full of interest for the "Fishermen's Own Book." 

Of the ancient fishing establishments, which seem to have flourished at an 
early day, we can hazard but a few conjectures. All record of them, if there 
ever was any such record, has been lost. Our knowledge of them is there- 
fore merely traditional. The "ketches" and "sloops" spoken of in history 
as the first vessels employed in the Cape Ann fisheries were doubtless used 
by them. Of the latter class of fishing craft we learn from history that in 
1724 several were employed in the Bank fishery, and that one of them, the 
Squirrel, belonging to 'Squam river, was captured by a pirate ; that the 
crew subsequently rose against their captors, killed some, threw others over- 
board, retook the sloop and brought her back into the river. The hanging 
of the bodies of two of the pirates upon "Hangman's Island" may be 
taken as evidence that the Squirrel belonged to the fishing establishment at 
"Done Fudging," about which there has been so much conjecture, since 
the island was but a short distance from it. It is now covered by the East- 
ern Railroad bridge, which spans the river at this point. I remember seeing 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 37 

it when a boy, a small low island, partly washed away by the tide, with 
a few stunted trees growing upon it. As the captured pirates were tried and 
executed elsewhere, it is probable that the island took its name from the 
suspension of the dead bodies of Burroughs and Phillips, who were killed 
in the recapture of the sloop, upon a mock gallows thereon. 

Why the early fishermen should have sought such out-of-the-way places — 
always far up some river or creek — in preference to Gloucester harbor, 
whose convenience of access and adaptability to the business has given 
birth to a thriving and growing city, is left to conjecture. It ma)' be that 
in those troublous times they selected them as being more remote from the 
sea, and affording greater safety from the depredations of piratical craft, 
which were then quite numerous, and also from the cruisers of the govern- 
ments with which the mother country was then at war. The location of 
their dwelling houses — of which forty desolate cellars remain, whose story 
none can tell — far removed from the shore, and always in some secluded 
spot, corroborates this view, as does also the tradition that they hauled their 
fish up on Dogtown Common to cure. 

About 1630 a party of men, led by a son of Rev. John Robinson of Puri- 
tan fame, seeking a place suitable for a fishing station, landed at Annisquam, 
and were so well pleased with its harbor and other conveniences that they 
concluded to set up a fishing stage there, and send for their families. This 
was the first permanent settlement of Cape Ann. The abandoned cellars 
were theirs, and the ruined wharves which tradition asserts were once the 
sites of important fishing establishments, doubtless belonged to and were 
used by them and their immediate descendants. 

What sort of crafts they used, what voyages they made, what success they 
met with, cannot now be learned. It is probable that the "ketch," a small 
open boat with two masts and sails, answered every requirement for a long 
period, since doubtless fish were plentiful and near at hand. Probably no 
craft of considerable size fitted from these establishments until a much 
later period. In 1724, nearly a hundred years after the settlement, we find 
mention of a vessel of larger proportions, the Squirrel, before alluded to. 
She must have been a good-sized craft, carrying quite a crew, and bound on 
a distant voyage, as it is said that the men took their tools along with them 
to complete her on the outward passage, she being a new vessel. At a later 
date the old Bankers and Pinkeys were undoubtedly fitted from these estab- 
lishments. 

Wishing to obtain some information in regard to the ancient fishing 
site at Mill Creek, concerning which there has been so much curiosity 
and conjecture, and of which a ruined wharf is all that now remains, we 
sought out "Uncle Ben," who lives near the place, as the one most likely to 
be able to impart the information we desired "Uncle Ben" is a hale old 



38 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

veteran of the sea. We found him open-hearted and free, as we knew him 
of old, and carrying his eighty and odd years remarkably well. 

" Do I know anything about the old fishing establishment just below here 
on Riggs' Point? Well, I ought to, seeing that I went from there when 
a boy. Capt. Samuel Riggs carried it on then. I do not know who carried 
it on before him. Somebody must have done so, for he did not build the 
wharf or the warehouses ; he built only the drying houses that stood further 
up the hill. They were all pulled down about forty years ago. He owned 
three vessels, standing-room pinkeys of about twenty-five tons burthen, one 
called the John, another the Mary Ann, and the third the Sally. 

"I was a small boy when I commenced to go. We used to start about 
the first of May and go down on Tantor, Southeastern Jeffries, Cashes, and 
sometimes to Wood Island, and would be gone about a week. Fish were 
plenty enough, and we could catch just as many as we wanted. 

" I do not remember anything about the old Banking fleet ; that was before 
I can remember. I have heard say that they used to have them up to Done 
Fudging. Cod and haddock were all the fish we used to market. Halibut 
were plenty enough. They would come up alongside and swim with their 
fins out of water, but we never thought of catching them. Sometimes, 
though not often, we would catch one and smoke it — for our own eating — ■ 
in the pinkey's chimney, which made a nice smoke-house. When they got 
too plenty we would haul up and seek another 'berth.' They used to bother 
us, as I have heard my father say the pollock used to bother them when he 
went. They did not know what a pollock was in his day, and used to think 
it a bad haul when they got one on the hook. At one time he used to go 
coasting in what would now be thought a small craft, but what they consid- 
ered a monster, an old-fashioned standing-room pinkey of forty-two tons, 
with timber heads coming up along her sides six or eight inches, around 
which a plank was bent to serve as bulwarks — then called a waist. She 
had fore-and-aft standing rooms, a fore-cuddy with a brick chimney and 
fireplace, carried fore-and-aft sails, and was without shrouds or bowsprit. 
She had hemp, or what was then called Raven's duck, sails — cotton duck 
was then unknown — and carried a scout horn* to wet them down when the 
wind was moderate. They used to coast along shore, carrying corn and 
lumber, and once went as far south as Charleston. 

"Aaron Hodgkins had a pinkey of twenty tons, called the Willow. He 
went in her himself, going from here. Aaron and Vincent Wheeler, broth- 
ers, had a square-stern boat whose name I do not remember. They went 
from Wheeler's Point. Over in Goose Cove, above the mill dam, where 

*As hemp sails were porous, and httl not the wind-holding properties of cotton duck, the 
"scout horn," a pole about fifteen feel in length with a leather pocket holding about a pint 
of water to throw on the sails and close them up., was an indispensable instrument. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



39 



you can see the remains of an old wharf, Josh. Riggs went in an old pinkey 
called the Blaney. It is about sixty years since she last left the cove. She 
went out under her foresail, with a fresh sou'west wind. Uncle Josh., 
leaning over the mainboom, said, ' Looks dreadful squally, don't it ? Guess 
we had better go back.' Back they went, and there she laid her bones, that 
being the last cruise of the Blaney." 

All this and much more interesting information "Uncle Ben" imparted 
freely, but we shall omit the rest, as there are other veterans of the fishing 
grounds to be heard from. 

We were desirous of learning something concerning the old Bankers, that 
are said to have sailed from these ancient fishing establishments, and felt 
that we should be most likely to obtain the information we desired by inter- 
viewing "Uncle Joe." What we gathered from this source will now be 
given, not as he told it, for that would take a more graphic pen than ours. 
But we will "puss" it up together, as the fishermen do the schools of 
mackerel. 

"I remember, when a boy, four score years ago, of hearing Capt. William 
Babson, then an old man, tell about the old Bankers. Capt. Babson, Capt. 
Gee and Joseph Baker, sometimes called Master Baker, were among the 
fitters. Capt. Babson's place of business was at Babson's Point. Master 
Baker's was at Baker's Point, now known as Pleasant Point, and the house 
in which he resided is the one now occupied by Prof. Hyatt as a Summer 
residence. The old warehouse, which used to stand so conspicuously on 
the Point, was owned and used by him. Capt. Gee's place of business was 
at Gee's Point, now known as Wheeler's Point. His wharf may yet be 
seen, so far decayed as to be covered at half tide, I think. There were 
fourteen sail in all. I cannot remember now, even if I ever knew, the 
names of any other fitters ; but as there were fourteen vessels, and as it was 
not usual for one establishment to fit more than one or two Bankers, there 
were probably other places where they fitted out, and the old sites at Done 
Fudging, Mill Creek and other places where ruined wharves remain, prob- 
ably had their share. 

"The Revolution put a stop to the business. Some of the vessels were 
captured and burned, and others sold or otherwise disposed of, as a Bank 
fishing voyage was deemed hazardous. 

"The vessels were for the most part built upon the Merrimac river. They 
had never heard of a chronometer in those days, and not many of them 
carried a quadrant. They used to depend on the compass, soundings, and 
personal judgment. It is probable that as a rule the skippers were ac- 
quainted only with the most simple and practical rules of navigation, yet 
they were very successful on their voyages. It is related of Capt. Babson, 
that, having secured the services of Capt. David Sargent as skipper, in 



4 o FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

order to badger him he sent some one down while he was getting underway 
for a fishing voyage, to ask him if he had got his quadrant on board. 'Tell 
Cap'n Babs'n,' was the reply, 'that I kin find ye way to ye Banks widout a 
quadrant as weel as he kin wid one.' 

" I wish I could tell you something more definite about the old-time fish- 
eries, but even were I able to do so it might be questioned, since I could 
only speak from hearsay. 

"The pinkey fleet, however, were quite numerous in my day. At one 
time there were more than one hundred on this side of the Cape, including 
Rockport, then Sandy Bay ; Lanesville, then Lane's Cove ; Bay View, then 
Hodgkins' Cove ; and 'Squam, where about twenty-five were owned and 
fitted. Those belonging to the first-named places would come around to 
'Squam when the weather was bad or threatening, those from Rockport 
going into Goose Cove as affording a near route to their homes, and those 
from Lanesville and Bay View into Lobster Cove for the same reason. 
There were no breakwaters at those places then, and in good weather the 
pinkeys were moored to a mooring-stump* — a spar with one end driven into 
a hole made for the purpose in a large flat rock of several tons weight, 
sunken at a sufficient distance from the shore to allow the pinkeys to swing 
clear of the rocks. Some of them still remain, and are objects of curiosity. 

"They were the old style pinkey, without bowsprit or shrouds, with two 
masts and hempen sails, and were from twelve to twenty-five tons burthen, 
and carried a crew of three men. They were built at Chebacco, now Essex, 
at first, but were afterwards also built at 'Squam. Capt. Epes Davis built 
the first one there, about the year 1800, on the Chebacco model. He hired 
a man from Essex to help him, but for some reason he went away when the 
pinkey was half completed, and Capt. Davis finished her himself, with the 
aid of his wife, who held the plank and timbers while he fastened them on. 
This pinkey was twenty tons burthen, and named the Dromo. Capt. Davis 
went to Brown's Bank in her and brought in sixty quintals of split fish. 
She had the usual features of the pinkey, two open standing rooms, one 
forward and one aft, to fish in, with hatches to cover them over, and was 
without shrouds or bowsprit. Capt. Davis continued the building of vessels, 
and in all built more than one hundred. In 1823 he built the first square 
stern vessel ever built at 'Squam. Her name was the Chrysanthemum, of 
sixty-three tons, and she was first sent on a southern mackereling voyage. 
Others engaged in the business, and it flourished for many years. At one 
time I have seen ten vessels on the stocks, and sixty sail were owned and 
fitted here. 

"They are all gone, skippers, boats and crews. I can remember the 

*A full description of these mooring stumps is given in the " Fishermen's Memorial and 
Record Book." 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 41 

names of many of them. At the Folly, Walter Woodbury went in the Repub- 
lican, Epes Woodbury in the Bonaparte, Epes Woodbury, Jr., in the Sea 
Flower, Caleb Merchant in the Hope, Joel Griffin in the Lion, Nat. Lane in 
the Sea Foam, John Clovis in the John, and Asa Woodbury in the Essex. 
At Lane's Cove were the Liberty, Winthrop Sargent ; Heron, John Lane ; 
Lily, Reuben Patch ; Jefferson, Moses Lane ; and William, Andrew and 
John Langsfori owned and went in pinkeys. The last-named was lost 
overboard in 1826, in coming from Jeffries, and the crew carried the boat 
into 'the harbor.' 

"There are many others whom I remember — Andrew Bailey, Robert 
Stevens, William Young, Epes Lane, Joe Lane, David Lane, Fellows Mor- 
gan, Harry Sargent, etc., who owned and fished in pinkeys. At 'Squam I 
remember the Martha, David Chard ; Corporal Tritn, John Duley ; Dove, 
Joseph Davis ; and many others that I could recall. I remember a trip 
that Daniel A. Robinson made to Western Bank in April, 18 17, in a pinkey 
of forty or fifty tons named the Constitution. She was owned and fitted by 
Epes Davis." 

Thanking " Uncle Joe " for his information, we next proceeded to hunt 
up "Capt. 'Bijah." We found him smoking in a snug corner by a sea-coal 
fire, and he gave us, between whiffs, the following account of his first trip : 

" I was ten years old when I made my first fishing trip. We went to 
Cashes in a deck boat of twenty tons. Capt. Daniel Robinson was skip- 
per and I was cook. There were six of us, all told. We went at the halves, 
and all shared alike, the privilege of cooking and the glory of being skip- 
per being considered in those days ample compensation for any extra labor 
or responsibility. We took about forty barrels of mackerel, saving only the 
large bloaters, which we slat into the barrels ; the smaller fish we slat into 
the lee scuppers and stamped them up with our boots for bait with which 
to toll the fish. Afterwards we chopped bait with a hatchet, until Gunni- 
son, of Newburyport, invented the bait mill, a godsend to the fishermen, 
who could now smoke and spin yarns while on watch, instead of chopping 
bait. A story is told, on the best of authority, of one skipper, Andrew 
Burnham, who had been a great 'killer' in his time, that after the bait mill 
came into use he was unable to sleep without the sound of the hatchet 
chopping bait, to which he had been so long accustomed. It is said that 
they tried pounding on the anchor stock, and tramping with their big boots 
on the deck above his head, but all to no avail. There was an element 
lacking in the noise they made, and he wooed the somnolent god to no ef- 
fect, and was obliged to retire to private life on a farm, in the ' Second Par- 
ish,' I believe. 

"We cooked in the old-fashioned way, in a brick fire place with a brick 
chimney, and a wooden smoke stack or funnel which was intended to carry 



42 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

off the smoke, but did not always do so. The crane, pot-hook, Dutch oven 
and trencher were all there, and all brought into use, as I well remember. 
We baked short cakes on the trencher, bread in the Dutch oven, and hung 
our kettle on the crane, with the pot-hook, to make coffee or tea. 

"We had fine weather, and everything passed off finely except the smoke, 
which refused to pass off at all, and under a less resolute commander than 
skipper Robinson would doubtless have assumed command altogether. 
No casualties occurred except the burning of a few short cakes, while 
'Bijah (it being his first voyage) paid tribute to father Neptune, and was 
himself again. We were gone three days. Arriving on the fishing grounds 
we made but one 'berth,' catching and dressing until everything was full, 
when we hoisted the foresail, for jib we had none, and bore away for 
'Squam, arrived in the channel, dropped anchor, furled the sails, and went 
home to see the folks." 

According to the records the first vessels employed in the Gloucester 
fisheries were the "ketch" and the "sloop." The ketches were smaller 
than the sloops, and were doubtless employed in the shore fishery, while 
the sloops were used for voyages to a greater distance. The ketch was but 
a miserable shallop, with two masts, one far in the stern and the other far 
forward in the bows, to obtain all the room possible between. They were 
little better adapted to the calling than the sloop, which any sailor knows is 
a poor rig for a fishing trip. At a later day we find the pinkey and the old 
Banker brought into general use. But the pinkey was only an improve- 
ment in some respects upon the ketch, having the same dangerous rig of 
two unsupported masts, and it is a wonder how they could have performed 
some of the voyages with which they are credited. Some of the pinkeys 
were as large as the ordinary fishing schooner, with spars in proportion. 
With the pinkey to monopolize the shore fishery came the old Banker to 
take the place of the sloop, a clumsy craft at the best, slow and unwieldly, 
with short masts, full bow, and high quarter deck, not unlike the vessel in 
which Columbus discovered the new world, though somewhat improved 
upon, no doubt. These had their day and generation, and by gradual de- 
velopment, adopting here and there what experience showed to be an 
improvement, gave to the fisheries and to ocean navigation a new craft, with 
a new name and characteristics peculiarly its own, the beautifully modelled, 
swift and graceful "schooner." . 

With the exception of some disguise in the names of the narrators, the 
foregoing account of the early fisheries at 'Squam may be regarded as essen- 
tially correct, being either matters of history or statements of persons now 
living. 

In conclusion we present a brief account of a trip to Grand Bank in 1816 
or 181 7, resulting in the largest fare of fish ever landed on Cape Ann. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 43 

This trip was made from Gloucester in the sch. Mary Elizabeth, one of the 
old-time Bankers, commanded by Capt. George Davis, of Annisquam. The 
Mary Elizabeth was owned by Robert Elwell of Gloucester, and was a new 
topsail schooner of one hundred and thirteen tons, built upon the Merrimac 
river just above the Haverhill bridge. She carried a crew of twelve men, in 
addition to the skipper, as follows : Benjamin Marble, Joseph Jones, James 
Sawyer, all of Fresh Water Cove; Samuel Davis of Ferry Lane; John 
Wharff, Enoch Center, of Fox Hill ; Samuel Wharff, William Bennett, Ben- 
jamin Curtis, near Dodge's Mill, Riverdale ; William Marsh, Robert and 
George Davis of Annisquam, the two latter sons of the skipper, Robert be- 
ing the cook, and George, now living at Annisquam in the eighty-sixth year 
of his age, being our informant in regard to the incidents of the trip. 

They started about the first of April and were gone ninety days. They 
fished with hand lines, on board the vessel, and caught seventeen thousand 
codfish in number. 

Having arrived on the Bank they made everything as snug as possible, 
taking down the topsail and topgallant yards and lashing them across the 
stern. Halibut were very numerous, and they could have soon loaded with 
them had they desired. They caught a great many of them, but only saved 
the fins and napes, which they salted in barrels, and fietched and smoked 
quite a lot of the best pieces overhead in the cabin. One day they caught 
a very large one, with a haddock in his mouth, the only haddock they saw 
during the trip. They had very good weather, met with no disaster, and 
arrived safely in Gloucester, and landed their fare at Fresh Water Cove, 
making 2,500 quintals dry fish, the crew realizing as their share $24 for 
each thousand fish caught. Our informant states that the water stood upon 
her lower deck when she left the Bank, but naturally, from the 'shrinkage 
of the fish and the pumping off of the pickle, she was considerable lighter 
when she reached port. Her outfits were principally ship-bread, beans, rice, 
a little flour, some beef and pork, molasses, tea and coffee, and some rum. 
Fish and beans and beef, with ship-bread, were the principal articles of 
diet, but on Sunday morning they would have fried pancakes — about half a 
bushel being required to go the rounds — as a sort of holiday treat, as they 
invariably refrained from fishing on Sunday. The Mary Elizabeth had the 
high quarter-deck peculiar to the Bankers, divided below into three com- 
partments, the forward part used for the storage of fishing gear, etc., the 
middle compartment as a pantry and kitchen, in which they cooked and 
ate, and the after part called the steerage, where they lived and slept. 



44 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Homeward Bound. 

BY JAMES DAVIS. 

O heave up the anchor, the waist it lies low 

With the weight of our good finny freight in the hold; 
The wind from the east is beginning to blow, 

Now heave up the anchor, my live lions bold ; 
My eyes they are aching for sight of the land, 

My heart it is sighing for sweet home once more ; 
Now heave O, my hearties, and landward we'll stand, 

To meet the dear friends who are waiting on shore. 

Chorus. 

O heave up the anchor, my good fishers bold, 

And homeward we'll steer with our freight good as gold ; 

Blow, breezes, and waft us the wide waters o'er, 

For dear ones are waiting for us on the shore. 

Out on the dark waters, for four weeks and more, 

"We've trawled and we've hauled, boys, day in and day out; 
Now dear ones are watching for us on the shore, 

And fears for our safety are whispered about ; 
So heave up the anchor and set every sail, 

Blow, breezes, and speed us the wide waters o'er, 
Blow steady and strong till the home-port we hail, 

And gladden the hearts that are waiting on shore. — Chorus. 

O, Love will sail out, and Love will sail in, 

For beneath our rough jackets our hearts they beat warm, 
And bread and delights for our dear ones to win, 

We watch, and we work, and we battle the storm; 
But happy the day when the skipper doth say, 

"Come, heave up the anchor, men, full is our store," 
And o'er the wide waters we speed on our way, 

To meet the dear friends who are waiting on shore. — Chorus. 

And so we will sail, boys, blow high or blow low, 

Sail landward or seaward, as duty may call, 
With a heart for hard fortunes, for never we know, 

Bound outward or inward, what luck may befall; 
And we sail and we ride out on Georges' far bank, 

While the winds and the waters they rage and they roar, 
And between us and death there is only a plank, 

For the sake of the dear ones we've left on the shore. — Chortts. 

There's danger on land, and there's danger at sea, 

But there's hope at all partings of meeting again, 
For Love is around us wherever we be, 

And One there goes with us who knows we are men ; 
So we sail and we ride out upon the rough tide, 

Expecting that when our last sea voyage is o'er, 
We'll moor our old barks, boys, in port side by side, 

And greet our dear friends on the heavenly shore. — Chorus. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 45 

Products of the Gloucester Fisheries. 

The following estimates of the fish productions of Gloucester at different 
periods during the past thirty-five years will give a good idea of the growth 
and changes in the business : 

Statement of fish products in 1847, collected by Mr. Addison Winter and 
furnished the "History of Gloucester," not including the results of the Win- 
ter dory fishing: 7,088,376 lbs. codfish, valued at $181,703 ; 3,379,776 lbs. 
halibut, $70,761 ; 735,506 lbs. hake, $12,174 ; 919,188 lbs. pollock, $16,556 ; 
46,779 bbls. mackerel, $290,055 ; 337^ bbls. tongues and sounds, $1873 ; 
39,520 gals, oil, $16,232. Total value, $589,354. Number of vessels 
employed, 287, of which 126 were of less than forty tons burthen. Total 
tonnage, 12,354; number of men employed, 1681 ; boys, 186. 

Fish products for 1859, exclusive of the herring, shell and shore fisheries : 
59,66454 bbls. mackerel, valued at $705,833 ; 114,047 qtls. codfish, $416,271 ; 
4,500,000 lbs. halibut, $135,000 ; 1,400 bbls. oil, $19,600. Total value, 
$1,276,704. The other fish products probably brought the value to nearly 
one and a half million dollars. Number of vessels, 322 ; tonnage, 23,882 ; 
number of men employed, 3,434 ; boys, 34. 

1865 — from State Census — value of mackerel catch, 154,938 bbls., $2,190,- 
562 ; codfish, etc., 113,025 qtls., $706,420; oil, $90,420; fresh fish, $360,- 
000; tongues and sounds, 3,000 bbls., $25,000; herring, $200,000; bait, 
1,400 bbls., $75,000 ; lobsters, $3,450. Total value, $3,650, 852. Number 
of vessels, 353 ; tonnage, 25,170 ; number of men, 4,700. Capital invested, 
$1,901,700 ; value of salt consumed, $232,275. 

Products for 1873 — Custom House estimate — 86,544 bbls. mackerel, of a 
value of $1,125,000; 460,000 qtls. codfish, $2,070,000 ; 5,000 bbls. herring, 
$23,000; 25,000 qtls. other fish, $50,000; 9,000,000 lbs. fresh fish, $310,- 
000; 275,000 gals, oil, $165,000; shell fish, $13,000; 7,000 tons fish ma- 
nure, $25,000 ; miscellaneous, $15,000. Total value, $3,801,000, against 

$3>437>°°° in l8 7 2 - 

Products of 1875, carefully prepared from actual returns obtained by 
George H. Procter: 177,473 qtls. Bank codfish, of a value of $998,628; 
185,758 qtls. Georges do., $1,021,669; 2)462,364 lbs. Georges halibut, 
$172,365; 7,248,413 lbs. Bank do., $507,389; 4,257 qtls. hake, $12,774; 
2,349 qtls. cusk, $7,047 ; 9,417 qtls. pollock, $32,964 ; 38,292 bbls. herring, 
$153,168 ; shore fish, fresh, $89,738, cured, $135,697, oil, $8,945 ; 18,172^ 
bbls. No. 1 mackerel, $327,112, 7,065^ bbls. No. 2, $184,780, 21,763 bbls. 
No. 3, $174,104, 4,039^ bbls - No - 4, $24,105 ; 3,175 bbls. herring, $13,494; 
163 bbls. pickled codfish and 40^ bb!s. swordfish, $1,097 ; 410^ bbls. trout 
and 7534 bbls. fins and napes, $4,042; 21^ bbls. salmon and 205 bbls. 



46 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

tongues and sounds, $2,282 ; shell fish, $10,000; other fish, $8,000; fish oil 
other than shore, $100,000. Total value, $3,909,500. 

In 1867 there were 220 Gloucester vessels engaged in the Bay St. Law- 
rence mackerel fishery, and only 50 off shore. 

Products since 1875, excluding hake, pollock, cusk, shell fish and oil : 

1876 — Georges codfish, 26,975,000 lbs.; Bank do., 18,627,000 lbs. ; Bank 
halibut, 11,453,000 lbs.; Georges do., 3,005,100 lbs.; mackerel, 95,422 bbls.; 
herring, 35,800 bbls. 

1877 — Georges codfish, 23,755,000 lbs.; Bank do., 16,865,000 lbs.; Bank 
halibut, 14,319,000 lbs.; Georges do., 1,814,000 lbs.; fletched do., 850,000 
lbs. ; Greenland do., 100,000 lbs.; mackerel, 49,044 bbls.; herring, 28,500 
bbls. 86 Gloucester vessels fished for mackerel in the Bay St. Lawrence 
this year. 

1878 — Georges codfish, 24,158,000 lbs.; Bank do., 12,202,500 lbs.; Bank 
halibut, 10,914,500 lbs.; Georges do., 524,100 lbs.; Greenland do., fletched, 
120,000 lbs.; mackerel, 55,742 bbls.; herring, 27,000 bbls. This was the 
year when the herring fleet was driven away from the shores of Newfound- 
land. 125 fares, about 30,000 bbls., sea-packed mackerel, were received 
from the Bay St. Lawrence. 

1879 — Georges codfish, 23,144,000 lbs.; Bank do., 13,247,000 lbs.; shore 
do., 3,742,000 lbs.; Bank halibut, 11,717,400 lbs.; Georges do., 995,500 
lbs.; Greenland do., fletched, 500,000 lbs.; mackerel, 48,643 bbls.; herring, 
20,000 bbls. 429 vessels were employed, of which 338 hailed rom Glouc- 
ester ; 104 followed Georges all the season, and 82 the Bank cod and hali- 
but fisheries. 25 vessels made Bay St. Lawrence trips for mackerel. 

1880 — Georges codfish, 27,511,000 lbs.; Bank do., 20,247,000 lbs.; shore 
do., 1,721,000 lbs.; Bank halibut, 7,940,000 lbs.; Georges do., 1,125,450 lbs.; 
Greenland do., fletched 80,000 lbs.; mackerel, 116,793 bbls.; herring, 30,000 
bbls. The fleet numbered 441 vessels, of which 334 were owned in Glouc- 
ester. 107 followed the Georges fishery exclusively, and 90 confined their 
operations to the Bank cod and halibut fisheries, and 17 made Bay St. 
Lawrence trips, bringing some 3,505 bbls. mackerel. 

1881 — Georges codfish, 22,510,000 lbs.; Bank do., 20,955,280 lbs.; shore 
do., 3,245,360 lbs.; Bank halibut, 7,178,800 lbs.; Georges do., 1,087,400 lbs.; 
fletched do., 25,000 lbs.; Greenland do., fletched, 428,290 lbs.; mackerel, 163,- 
851 bbls.; frozen herring, 13,318,000. The fleet numbered 437 vessels, of 
which 343 were owned in Gloucester. 62 followed the Georges fishery ex 
clusively, 26 Western Bank fishery, 10 Grand Bank codfishery, 25 Bank hal- 
ibuting, and 29 shore and Bay of Fundy codfishery. Only 2 vessels visited 
the Bay St. Lawrence for mackerel, and their catch was less than 50 bbls. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



47 




Eeturn of the Dories. 



BY CELLIS. 



The above picture shows the return of some of the shore fishermen from a 
trip off shore, where they have seined a goodly quantity of pogies or mack- 
erel, which they are now about to unload from their dories and take care 
of. The baskets have been filled all ready to be conveyed to the store- 
house. The children are enjoying the sight and are probably asking all the 
questions which their little brains can conjecture. The vast expanse of 
water, with the numerous sea birds, add life and beauty to the scene, which 
is in decided contrast to that presented when the storm-clouds lower and 
old ocean is lashed into fury. The lighthouse, whose cheerful beams by 
night guide the mariner on his course over the pathless deep, stands as a 
faithful sentinel, and the little cottage near by with the smoke rising from 
its chimney, is suggestive of peace and contentment. Taken as a whole 
the picture is a cheerful one, and shows the bright side of the fishermen's 
life. 



4 8 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 




Quick Passages. 



Sch. John D. Griffin, Capt. Gould, left Chatham, on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 
1877, for New York, discharged cargo and was back the following Monday 
with 6,200 bushels of corn, bound to Danversport. Sch. Anson Stimson, 
Capt. Sloman, made the passage from Sandy Hook to Matanzas in 18 
days, in 1877. Sch. Tim Pickering, of Salem, made the voyage from New 
York to Salem and back in 9 days, in 1877, 5 days of the time being spent 
in Salem and Gloucester. Bark Charles Stewart made the passage from 
Trapani to this port in 43 days, in 1878, being 1,7, days from Gibralter. 
Sch. Herman Babson made the passage from Canso to Gottenberg in a few 
hours over 16 clays, in 1876. Sch. Centennial, Capt. Philip Johnson, made 
the passage from Gloucester to Port Mulgrave, a distance of 488 miles, in 

1880 in 46 hours. The same year sch. Henry Wilson, Capt. James O. 
Nauss, made the run from Cape Jack to Georgetown, P. E. I., a distance 
of 40 miles, in 4 hours, and sch. David A. Story, Capt. Joseph Ryan, made 
the passage from Gloucester to Grand Menan, a distance of 225 miles, in 
18 hours. In i860 ship Golden Gate made the pasage from Liverpool, 
Eng., to San Francisco, in 102 days ; in i8So-r, ship British General made 
the same passage in 105 days, being 15 days from the equator into port. In 

188 1 sch. Alice, of Swan's Island, made the run fro:n Boston to Eastport in 
27 hours, and sch. William H Jordan, of Taunton, made the passage from 
Baltimore to Providence in 56 hours. Steamer Admiral, from New York to 
Boston, made a run of 9 miles in 27 minutes, and a passage from Glouces- 
ter to Boston in 1 hour, 50 minutes. In November, 1881, sch. Lulu Am- 
mermann, of Perth Amboy, N. J., Capt. John L. Stiles, made the passage 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



49 



from Boston to Philadelphia in three days. Sch. Lizzie W. Matheson, Capt. 
McKay, of Provincetown, in October, 1881, made the passage from Boston 
to Cape Haytien in 8 days, discharged cargo, loaded and returned to Bos- 
ton, making the round trip inside of 32 days, said to be the quickest time 
on record. Sch. Jennie A. Stubbs, Capt. Stubbs, made the run from Sandy 
Hook to Turk's Island, in 1881, in 145 hours, actual time. Sch. Lottie K. 
Friend, Capt William H. Collins, sailed from New York on Saturday even- 
ing, April 30, 1880, at 6^ o'clock, and arrived at Gloucester at 2 o'clock 
the following Monday morning, making the passage in 31^ hours; the pre- 
vious Winter the Lottie K. Friend made the passage from Phillips' wharf, 
Salem, to New York, in 31 hours. 

In the Summer of 1880 several of the Gloucester fishing vessels had an 
opportunity for a race with crack Boston yachts, under favorable circum- 
stances: July 27, sch. Alice M. Williams, Capt. Dennis C. Murphy, fell in 
with the yacht Actac off Cape Sable; the yacht put on all her light sails, 
and Capt. Murphy spread his riding sail and all the dory sails he could raise, 
and kept company with the yacht until he reached Eastern Point, when he 
came into port, the Actae proceeding to Boston. Aug. 5, sch. Isaac A. 
Chapman, Capt. Chas. R. Crew, fell in with the yacht Tarolinta; both craft 
spread every inch of canvas, and in an hour and a half beating to windward 
the yacht was left fully one-half mile to leeward. In September the sch. 
Mary Ode/1, Capt. McClain, out-sailed one of the crack Boston yachts, and 
parties who witnessed the race were so well pleased with her sailing quali- 
ties that they made an offer for the Odell on the spot, and she was sold to 
go to Savannah as a pilot boat. 



SONG OF THE WINTER FISHERMAN. 



BY R. CALDER. 



Up ! up with your sails to the bending mast, 
Sheet them home with a hearty will ; 

Let the rude caress of the wiutry blast 
Every fold of the canvas fill. 

Now sail away o'er the treacherous main, 
Where the storm-king builds his throne, 

"Where the finny treasures of his domain 
"We will gather and call our own. 

Where the towering iceberg's crystal dome 

Is lost in the drifting snow, 
And the waves dash up their milky foam 

From the gloomy depths below. 

Away where the bright Aurora's beams 

Flash over the starry sky, 
Lighting the sea with its golden gleams, 

Where the daring fishers lie. 



Oh, kings and rulers the land may own — 

We envy not the great ; 
The ocean free is our regal throne, 

The " deck" is our Chair of State. 

Oh, here we are free on the ocean's breast 
As the deer on his native heath ; 

And when the storm is over we rest 
On the billows — or underneath. 

What matter to us, when the spirit's fled, 
Where the body finds a tomb — 

In the church-yard with our kindred dead, 
Or 'neath the ocean's foam ? 

Here's a noble craft to meet the blast 

Where'er fate bids us roam, 
And hearts to greet, when danger's past, 

Our loving ones at home. 



S o FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



First Trips. 

The first codfishing trips to Georges were made in 182 1, and the first cod- 
fishing trips to the Bay St. Lawrence the same year. The Georges halibut 
fishery was inaugurated in 1830. 

The first salt herring trip to Newfoundland was made in 1837 or 1838 by 
Capt. James W. Pattillo, in the pinkey Tiger. The Newfoundland fresh 
herring fishery was inaugurated in 1854 by sch. Flying Cloud, Capt. Henry 
O. Smith. The first frozen herring marketed in New York was in 1857, by 
sch. E. C. Smith, Capt. Sylvanus Smith. The first cargo of herring ever 
shipped from Gloucester to a foreign port were sent to Gottenberg in sch. 
Nutti Secundus, in 1876. 

The first Greenland halibut trip was made in 1866, by sch. John Atwood, 
of Provincetown, chartered by Messrs. John F. Wonson & Co., Dodd, Tarr 
& Co., and Mr. George J. Marsh. She sailed June 29, commanded by 
Capt. G. P. Pomeroy of New London, Conn., with Capt. Averill L. York of 
this city as fishing master, and arrived home Oct. 14, selling her fletched 
halibut at 9 cts. per pound, and stocking $5,500. Sch. Caleb S. Eaton, 
Capt. Tohn S. McQuin, made a Greenland trip in 1869 and again in 1870. 

The first and only fishing trip to Iceland from this port was made by 
Capt. John S. McQuin, in sch. Membrino Chief, in 1873. 

Sch. Notice, Capt. Knud Markuson, made a mackerel-seining trip on the 
coast of Norway, in 1S78. 

The importation of fish to the West Indies was revived by Capt. Charles 
A. Homans in 1878. 

Mackerel catching was first pursued by small boats about 1800. The 
mode of catching by drifting and "throwing bait" did not become general 
until after 181 2. The jig hook was invented by Mr. Abraham Lurvey of 
Pio-eon Cove, in 18 16. Fly lines did not come into use until about 1823. 
Bait mills were not used until 1820, when they were made of nails driven in 
straight lines across wooden cylinders and then sharpened. The first bait 
mill with knives was made by Mr. Gorham Burnham in 1822, and the knives 
were first placed in spiral form in 1823. The first trip for mackerel to cure 
was made by sch. President, Capt. Simeon Burnham, in 18 18. Mackerel 
were first caught on Georges in 1822, by Capt. William Marshall. The first 
mackereling trip from Gloucester to the Bay St. Lawrence was made by 
Capt. Charles P. Wood in sch. Mariner, in 1830. Sch. Eliza Jane, Capt. 
Stephen Brown, made a Bay mackereling trip the same season, and two 
of the crew who made the trip, Messrs. John Hodgkins and John N. Day 
of Riverdale, are still living. Sch. Clio, of East Salisbury, is said to have 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. S i 

made a similar trip in 1829. The first trawl was made and set across 
Brace's Cove in 1820, by Mr. John Rowe, still living at East Gloucester at 
the age of 75 years. 

The Fishery Clauses of the Washington Treaty went into effect July 1, 
1873 ; notice of a desire to terminate their provision may be given by either 
side after July 1, 1883, and they will continue in force two years after such 
notice is given. 




Large Fish. 

A halibut weighing upwards of 600 lbs. is said to have been taken at New 
Ledge, 60 miles southeast of Portland, Me., in 1807. Twenty years later a 
dead halibut was picked up by two men near Damask Cove, at Boothbay, 
Me., that weighed when gutted and gilled, with head on, 637 lbs. This is 
the largest halibut of which we have any record. Dr. Storer mentions one 
taken off the South Shore three-quarters of a century ago, which weighed 
420 lbs., dressed; or probably 500 lbs. live weight. The largest halibut 
ever landed at Gloucester was brought in from Georges by sch. Etta E. 
Tanner, in 188 1, turning the scales at 380 lbs. ; it was purchased by Messrs. 
Stockbridge & Co., and attracted considerable attention. The same year 
sch. Charles Carroll took a Georges halibut weighing 358 lbs.; in 187 1 sch. 
John Dove took one weighing 347 lbs., and seven halibut taken on the 
trip turned the scales at 1,732 lbs. The largest Bank halibut of which 
we have any knowledge weighed 377 lbs., and was taken by sch. Wachusett 
in 1880. In 1877 sch. City of Gloucester took a Bank halibut weighing 
336 lbs., and sch. William Thompson one weighing 296 lbs. The largest 
shore halibut on record was taken on Poole's Ledge, about six miles east- 
southeast of Thacher's Island, about 1873, by J. B. Goldsmith and Peter 
Leman, two Rockport fishermen ; it was as wide as the stern place of the 
dory, weighed when dressed 347 lbs., and sold for $21.60. In 1877 Mr. 
Elbridge Gerry took off Eastern Point a halibut weighing 320 lbs. The 



52 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



smallest halibut of which we have heard was brought in by a Gloucester 
vessel in 1880, and sent by mail to Mr. E. G. Blackford, the fish culturist, 
of New York ; its weight was 20 ounces. 

The Portsmouth fishermen have a tradition of a monster codfish caught by 
Samuel Haley, of Smutty Nose Island, Isles of Shoals, which weighed when 
dressed and dried 113 lbs. In 1878 Capt. George H. Martin of Gloucester 
took off Cape Cod a codfish weighing 11 1 lbs. dressed, and the next year 
captured one in Ipswich Bay which measured 5 feet 2 inches in length and 
weighed 90 lbs. when landed, and probably 100 lbs. when taken from the 
water. In 1879 two codfish were received in the Portsmouth market each 
of which weighed 108 lbs. Storer speaks of a codfish taken in the Spring 
of 1807 at New Ledge, 60 miles southeast of Portland, Me., which weighed 
107 lbs. The New York "Journal" of April 3, 1793, reports a codfish 
"lately sold in the Newburyport market," which was 5^2 feet in length and 
weighed 98 lbs. One of 97 lbs. was caught off Portsmouth in 1827, and 
one of 94 lbs., "undressed," by the Swampscott fishermen in 1857. In 
February, 1823, the Marblehead fishermen sent to John Q. Adams, Secre- 
tary of State, frozen with great care and packed in ice, a codfish weighing 
84 lbs. In 1881 the sch. Morrill Boy, Capt. Russell Gill, took on one trip 
net fishing 319 codfish, weighing 9,570 lbs., or averaging 30 lbs. each. 

A lobster 38 inches in length and weighing 15 lbs. was taken at New 
Bedford in the Fall of 1881 ; a few months earlier a lobster weighing 13 lbs. 
was taken at Liverpool, N. S., and sold for 25 cents. A horse mackerel 
weighing 545 lbs. was landed at Portland, Me., in the Summer of 188 1. A 
bass weighing 79 lbs. was taken near Portsmouth, N. H., in August, 1881 ; 
it was two hours from the time it was hooked before it was landed, in a 
fourteen foot boat, which was half full of water before the fish was secured. 
A 445 lb. turtle was taken in the weirs at Orleans, Mass., in August, 1881. 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



53 




Gloucester Harbor, 1830. 



Above is given a view of the harbor taken from off the beach at the Cut 
in 1830, which will be readily recognized by many who peruse these pages. 
The old windmill which then occupied a position where the Pavilion Hotel 
now stands, was for many years an important landmark in entering the 
harbor. It was erected in 1814 by Mr. Ignatius Webber, a successful ship- 
master, who retired from seafaring pursuits in 1807, and for three years 
subsequently was connected with Messrs. Aaron and Henry Plumer in car- 
rying on the ropewalk on Western avenue, which was built by Capt. Webber 
and Aaron Plumer in 1803. The ropewalk was sold at auction about 1810 
to Mr. John Somes, Jr., for $4,550. The windmill was removed to Com- 
mercial street, near the Fort, when the Pavilion was erected, and was so 
badly injured by fire July 5th, 1877, that it was sold and removed. The 
ropewalk is plainly discernible in the foreground, and many a fine run, when 
a lad, have we had barefooted over its smooth floor. There are many no- 
ticeable changes in that vicinity, especially on the hill, which now shows 
some very handsome dwelling houses. 



54 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

TJ. S. Fish Commission. 

SUMMER HEADQUARTERS IN GLOUCESTER. 

The Summer of 1878 was memorable for the selection of this city as the 
Summer headquarters of the U. S. Fish Commission. The scientific corps 
comprising the Commission arrived here July 9, Prof. Baird and his clerical 
force taking up their residence at the Kirby cottages on Western avenue, 
and a large building on Fort Wharf was leased for an office, laboratory, etc. 
The laboratory work was under the the special charge of Prof. Goode of the 
Commission and Prof. Verrill of Yale College, with Dr. Bean and Messrs. 
Richard Rathburn and Warren Upham as assistants. On the 18th of July 
the steamer Speedwell, under command of Captain Beardslee, arrived, and 
from that time until Sept. 30, with a brief interruption for repairs on the 
steamer, dredging expeditions were made off the coast, Capt. H. C. Ches- 
ter, formerly of the Polaris, having charge of the dredging machinery. 
With the departure of the Speedwell, at the end of September, the regular 
Summer work of the Commission was practically completed. 

Aside from the investigations pursued by the scientists, and the valuable 
collections secured on the dredging expeditions, the visit of the Fish Com- 
mission to Gloucester served to create an interest in its field of operations 
among the Gloucester fishermen, from which great benefit has been derived. 
Several of the larger fishing vessels were provided with tanks and alcohol 
for the preservation of such novel specimens as might be brought up on 
their lines and trawls, and a lively emulation was manifested in forwarding 
the interests of the Commission. This branch of the work was continued 
after the departure of Prof. Baird and his corps, the numerous contributions 
being weekly announced in the columns of the local papers until the middle 
of November, 1880, when the number of separate contributions had reached 
924, including many thousands of specimens, of which a very large number 
were either new to science, very rare, or hitherto unheard of in American 
waters. 

During the season a series of investigations was made by Dr. W. G. Far- 
low, as to the cause of the reddening of codfish cured in Summer, which 
renders it liable to decomposition and unfit for the market. After a full 
inquiry Dr. Farlow came to the conclusion that the trouble was occasioned 
by a minute red alga, specimens of which were found in the Cadiz salt used 
for curing fish, and in accordance with his recommendation a more general 
use has since been made of Trapani salt, which was found to be free from 
this alga. 

Through the efforts of Prof. Baird, Gloucester was made a Storm signal 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 55 

station, during the Summer of 1878, and the warning signals have proved 
of great advantage to mariners. 

On the 25th of July the Tallapoosa visited Gloucester, having on board 
the Secretary of the Navy, Hon. R. W. Thompson, the Chief Naval Con- 
structor, Chief Engineer, Paymaster General, and other naval officers. The 
steamer remained in port two days, the visitors making a dredging trip on 
the Speedwell. 

One of the most valuable results at the Gloucester station was the dem- 
onstration of the fact that codfish, haddock, herring, and other deep sea fish 
could be artificially propagated as readily as shad, whitefish, and other deni- 
zens of our rivers and lakes. Assistant Commissioner Milner, Capt. Ches- 
ter and Messrs. Frank N. Clark and Robert E. Hall had charge of the 
cod-hatching experiments, which were entered upon after the departure of 
their associates. Various devices were tried, until the proper conditions 
were realized, and several millions of codfish were hatched out and turned 
into the harbor, where they could be readily observed around the wharves 
the following Summer, having made a good growth. It was also found that 
herring, haddock, and pollock could be artificially multiplied at will. The 
results of the experiments were all that could have been expected, and much 
valuable information was secured that will be of great advantage if the work 
is ever attempted on a large scale. 

The fish-hatching establishment was broken up in the early part of Janu- 
ary, 1879, but the Commission retained its laboratory for the reception and 
preparation of specimens brought in by Gloucester fishing vessels until the 
Summer of 1881. Mr. Earle remained in charge of the work in 1879, anc * 
was succeeded by Mr. A. Howard Clark in 1880. Since the laboratory was 
closed in 1881, Capt. Stephen J. Martin has been the local representative 
of the Commission, keeping a record of fishing arrivals and securing other 
information necessary to the prosecution of its work. 



Around Cape Ann. 

In 1606, we have seen, our harbor was named Le Beau Port, and sin- 
cerely. Harbors differ as men do. Harbors are human and something like 
women ; they have their own times for dainty and delicate attire. To know 
them, you must study them, under daylight, under twilight ; at sunrise and 
sunset ; under the full harvest moon ; at low tide and high tide ; in a storm 
and after it is over ; then will you find some mood to admire, new beauty 
come to sight. Our harbor, like every other, sulks sometimes, one must 
allow. A dog-day's fog has hung over it, or wrung itself dry into it, to-day. 



56 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Open as the highway to all farers, many kinds of craft share its favor. The 
deeply laden collier with its sober mien ; the lumber-coaster with her deck- 
load suggesting the heart of pine forests in Maine ; the stranger ship with 
salt from Spain ; the sloop or schooner yacht with every grace a marvel and 
every line a picture, — those lilies of the sea, which toil not, neither do they 
spin ; the tug-boat eying every sail for a summons ; the fisherman with her 
seine-boat ready for action, idle after toil ; the ferry-boat going her way so 
often as to have it by heart ; the light, clumsy wood-coaster from the prov- 
inces, sturdily maintaining her look of indifference to the finer company 
around her ; a single skiff shooting among the dories and boats ; all point- 
ing different ways ; some with sails partly set, expectant ; some with minds 
made up, their anchors resolutely down, and all either grieving or sulking 
over the uncertain weather. One hint of farewell from the setting sun, and 
what a change ! The somber collier and coaster look careless and happy, 
and the yachts share the gold that falls upon them with every homely sister, 
till twilight creeps and creeps up every mast, like a miser, for every glint 
of it. The woods along the western shore grow like a deepening mystery. 
The tide is down, and the weed-hung rocks seem darkly to desire the night. 
One gleam is in the western sky, the light of which little pools of tide among 
the rocks sue for and obtain, by some bridge unseen. 

To see the summer day come into the harbor, one must rise early. The 
early evening most men know ; but the early morning — what is it? How 
many of us know it ? How many love it? One star is skipper and crew 
of the whole heavens, and, weary with its watch, "turns in," not curious to 
see what the day is like. The wind is sleeping. A boat here and there 
puts off to some vessel. " Schooner ahoy ! " says a voice from the shore, 
and she ahoys. Sail and hull and rope and block are duplicated in the tide 
below. That was a yawn of the awaking wind. Notes of preparation 
deepen. Sail after sail is swayed up. Anchors break their hold ; then 
comes the quickened clink, clink, of the windlass ; the jib is hoisted, and 
the southwest wind, no longer napping, fills it and a hundred other sails 
that make their way out of the harbor in the morning sunlight, to and fro. 

The first schooner-rigged craft that ever swam, it is claimed, was built by 
Andrew Robinson, in 17 13, and named the Schooner. It was a handy craft 
for rig, but, even down to fifty years ago, a clumsy body. Cape Ann vessels 
are mostly built at Essex, a few miles from Gloucester ; up a river or crooked 
creek, the builders construct and launch their faithful work for all sorts 
of weather to try. So they were building thirty years ago, when one, more 
venturesome, suddenly departed from the models of the day, sharpening the 
bow and hollowing the run. What talk among the fishermen ! Who would 
go in her? What a of a rake! What a sheer! She was manned, 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 57 

though ; became successful, and very soon others were on the stocks modeled 
after the Romp, the pet of the fleet. 

Six sloops, one boat and one shallop composed the Cape Ann fleet in 
1693 ; now it has nearly five hundred sail, of almost twenty-eight thousand 
tons, and Gloucester is the largest fishing port in the land. Its fleet is 
manned by men of every clime. A tide of young men, mainly from the 
Provinces, sets steadily toward this port. Many have the characteristic 
recklessness of the sailor, and earnings of weeks are spent between sunset 
and sunrise. There is among them no sailor cut of clothes, and ashore they 
follow the prevailing fashions down to lager beer. All haunts are prepared 
for Jack, and he is prepared for all haunts. As in all other callings thrift 
follows prudence and industry, though he seems to lie open to the changes 
and chances of luck. You will see his cottage commanding the finest sea 
view, for on the heights lie the cheapest lots. Alas ! that the waiting wife 
can look harborward on every coming sail, often to see the flag "half-mast" 
— for whom ? 

Here are no labor strikes. The sailor brings in a fare of fish, perhaps 
all he has caught, by themselves ; they are weighed off, the vessel is put to 
rights, and he goes up to the counting-room for his check. The whole value 
of the fish is reckoned by the vessel-owner or his clerk ; then is deducted 
cost of ice and bait bought ; then one-quarter of one per cent, for the Wid- 
ows' and Orphans' Fund ; one-half the remainder belongs to the owner, the 
other to him. From his part is then deducted charges for wood-sawing and 
splitting, for water, medicine-chest, condensed milk, and any charge for la- 
bor on the vessel which belonged to him to do, but which has been hired 
done. His check is then handed him, and he presents it in person, or it 
finds its devious way to the bank by other — perhaps not cleaner — hands. 

One of the most exciting scenes imaginable is that of a fleet of hundreds 
making the port in a storm. In a northeast gale they must beat in. All 
day long, by twos and threes, they come. It is luff, bear away, or tack ship 
to avoid a smash. Crack, snap, goes a jib-boom off. Crack, snap, there 
is one main-boom the less. Hoarse voices of the skippers howl in entreaty 
or command above the howling gale, and the shore is lined with listening 
lookers-on. — "Century Magazine." 



58 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 




Schooner Sultana Towed by a Whale. 

On the 1 6th of December, 1874, while schooner Sultana, Capt. Peterson, 
of this port, was at anchor on Grand Bank, there was a sudden motion 
felt by those on board the vessel, and it was evident that the craft was being 
carried through the water by some unseen and unknown motive power. 
Looking forward, it was observed that the cable was drawn taut, and that 
some "monster of the deep" was attached thereto, and drawing the vessel 
along at the rate of twelve knots an hour. Soon they obtained positive 
evidence, as a mammoth whale came to the surface to blow, having the an- 
chor of the vessel either hooked into his jaw or blow-hole. There was also 
another whale which swam near, evidently greatly astonished at the predic- 
ament of his companion. The men on board of the dories, which had just 
returned from visiting their trawls, had barely time to make fast their painter 
ere the vessel started. Another dory, with two men, was at some distance, 
also visiting their trawls. The captain stood ready with axe in hand, in 
case of emergency, and allowed the whale to tow them some distance ; but 
not wishing to lose sight of the men in the dory, was obliged to cut the ca- 
ble — otherwise he might have succeeded in capturing the whale. Whether 
or not his whaleship succeeded in getting rid of the anchor and tow-line is 
not known, as no account has yet come to hand of his being fallen in with. 
It was rather a novel method of being towed. We have heard of but one 
similar instance among the fishing fleet — that of sch. C. H. Price being towed 
by a whale a day and a half, some nine years ago, while on Grand Bank, 
when the fluke of the anchor broke and she was released. The above 
spirited picture gives a good idea of the Sultana in tow. It was drawn by 
Rory McDonald, steward of the vessel. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 59 



Loss of the Schooner Henrietta Greenleaf, 

Four Men Drowned in their Berths — The Remainder of the Crew Take to 
their Dories — Adrift in an Open Dory, with Scanty Clothing, amid Sleet 
and Cold, without Oars, for Forty- Five Hours — The Dories Part Company 
— One Rescued by Sch. Lizzie K. Clark — The Other Never Heard From. 

The new sch. Henrietta Greenleaf 'left Gloucester Thursday, April 6, 1876, 
for a Grand Bank trip ; and this was her first and last trip. She was com- 
manded by Capt. William H. Greenleaf, who was also part owner, and from 
him we obtained the following particulars: 

On Friday night was to the southward of La Have Bank, and had fine 
weather with a six knot south-southwest breeze. The watch on deck were 
George Olsen and Philip McCloud, and the remainder of the men were be- 
low, asleep. Shortly before three o'clock the watch called all hands to 
handle sail, and all turned out. Capt. Greenleaf was the first one on deck, 
and when he took the wheel the vessel was masts down in the water. The 
squall was the most terrific he ever experienced, and came so suddenly that 
there was no escape from it. All hands were ordered to the weather side, 
and the rigging was at once cut away in order to let the masts break off, and 
thus ease the vessel ; but of no avail, and it was evident that she was fast 
sinking, and if they would save their lives they must get out of her as soon 
as possible. There was no time even to secure oars, water or food, and all 
the men, except the watch, had only their pants, shirts and stockings on. 
Thus illy provided, they proceeded to launch the dories, when it was found 
that four of the crew were missing, and these had been drowned in their 
berths, having been unable to reach the deck on account of the deluge of 
water which had overtaken them in their attempt. The names of these un- 
fortunate men were Franklin Greenleaf, brother of the master, 25 years of 
age ; Alfred Short, a native of Olsenburg, Norway, who had followed fishing 
from this port several years; James Peters, of Prospect, N. S.; George 
Connors, brother-in-law of Capt. Greenleaf, 15 years of age. 

The loss of these men threw a gloom over the remainder of the crew; but 
there was no time for repining; they must work quickly, and at about half- 
past three they left the vessel, with the wind blowing hard and a rough sea 
running. The dories kept company all day Saturday, and the winds were 
variable, with snow squalls and cold, biting sleet, which made their situation 
extremely uncomfortable, and they suffered greatly. They were frequently 
wet with the water shipped by the dories, and it required constant effort 



60 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

with a bucket, fortunately on board, to keep them free. Having no oars, 
they tore the railings off the dories, and were also fortunate enough to pick 
up the vessel's wheel-box, which they made paddles of, and by dint of al- 
most superhuman exertions, were enabled to keep their frail crafts afloat. 
At eight o'clock, Saturday evening, the dories parted company, being unable 
to keep together any longer. The wind was then blowing strong from 
north-northwest, and continued until Sunday noon, when it moderated grad- 
ually until evening. At five in the afternoon, Freeman Crawford, one of the 
men, succumbed to the terrible fatigue and died, and his companions felt 
that if not soon rescued, they too must soon follow him. He was a native 
of Westport, Maine, 25 years of age. 

Shortly after midnight, through the dim hazy light, they saw a sail draw- 
ing near. They succeeded in attracting attention, and the vessel proved 
the Lizzie K. Clark, Capt. Thomas Hodgdon, of this port. It was but the 
work of a few moments for the captain and his crew to respond to the cries 
of distress, which were borne upon their ears in the midnight, and imagine 
their surprise when they learned that the sufferers were their own acquaint- 
ances. With kindly care they lifted their poor suffering shipmates on board 
the vessel and did everything possible for men to do for their comfort. The 
Clark laid to until daylight, in hopes to pick up the other dory, but was un- 
successful, and Capt. Hodgdon cruised all day Monday, leaving no efforts 
untried in order to save his brother fishermen ; but all to no avail, and the 
condition of the rescued men being such as to require medical skill, he sailed 
for Halifax, where he arrived on Tuesday. Here the men were the recipi- 
ents of every attention; money, clothing and kind words were freely offered, 
and the American Consul, Judge Jackson, was indefatigable in his efforts to 
benefit them. Capt. Bennett of the steamer Chase offered them a free 
pass to Portland, and was unremitting in his attentions. Capt. Merrill of 
the Boston & Maine Railroad also passed them over his road to Boston, and 
all whom they met showed none but kindly feelings. The body of Crawford 
was taken on shore and buried. 

The names of the men rescued were Capt. Greenleaf, Lawrence Hardi- 
man, Philip McCloud, George Olsen and Charles Cook. Those in the other 
dory, which was never heard from, were Joseph Gardner, Liverpool, N. S., 
29 years of age ; George Rowe, East Gloucester, 28 years ; Bernard Jewett, 
Westport, 27 years; Charles Pattie, Westport, and John S. Tobbie of Nor- 
way, 28 years. 







FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 61 



Gill-Net Codfishing in Ipswich Bay. 

The Winter of 1880-81 will be memorable in local fishing annals as wit- 
nessing the first successful attempt at net-fishing for cod in our waters, a 
method that promises to make as marked a change in the shore fishery as 
was wrought by the introduction of trawl fishing a few years previously. 
This method of fishing has long been followed by the Newfoundland fisher- 
men, and it is said that the Norwegians take half the number and two-thirds 
the weight of their immense catch of codfish in this manner. 

Impressed with the importance of the saving made in the cost of bait, and 
of time consumed in procuring bait, Prof. Baird decided in the Summer of 
1878, when the Summer quarters of the Fish Commission were located in 
Gloucester, to experiment as to the practicability of introducing the Norwe- 
gian methods in our waters. Accordingly, he procured a set of Norwegian 
gill nets, which attracted considerable attention at the laboratory of the 
Commission at Fort Wharf, from their novel construction and curious glass 
floats. When the Winter school of codfish set in, in the Fall of 1878, exper- 
iments were made with these nets on the "Old Man's Pasture," but it was 
found that the nets were too frail for the large cod which frequent our coast 
in Winter, and for the strong current and rocky bottom along our shores. 
The result of the experiment, however, was such as to indicate that net- 
fishing might be made practicable, with properly constructed nets, and 
Prof. Baird continued his investigation of the method, and on the occasion 
of the International Fisheries Exhibit at Berlin in the Spring of 1880 dele- 
gated Capt. Joseph W. Collins of Gloucester to make a careful study of the 
European methods of deep sea fishing, the result of which has been pub- 
lished by the Government for the information of the American fishermen. 
Meanwhile the Norwegian seines remained at the Gloucester headquarters 
of the Fish Commission, with the understanding that they were at the ser- 
vice of any responsible master who desired to experiment with them. 

In the Fall of 1880 the scarcity of bait interfered with the successful pros- 
ecution of the shore fishery, and at the suggestion of Capt. Stephen J. Mar- 
tin, an attache of the Commission, his son, Capt. George H. Martin, decided 
to make a trial of net fishing in the schooner Northern Eagle of Gloucester. 
Securing the nets belonging to the Commission, and procuring others of 
improved construction, the Northern Eagle made a thorough trial of this 
method of fishing for shore cod in Ipswich Bay in the Winter of 1880-81, 
with such success that before the season closed quite a number of the shore 
fleet provided themselves with similar outfits. The Northern Eagle was 
supplied with three dories, each requiring three nets, which were set at night 



62 FISHERMAN'S OWN BOOK. 

and hauled the next morning. The experiment proved a success from the 
start. For the first three nights the catch was 4,000, 6,000 and 7,000 lbs. 
respectively, although the weather was unfavorable and the trawl fishermen 
were securing only about half the amount taken by the Northern Eagle. In 
eight days' fishing this schooner took 40,000 lbs. of large fish, and on one 
trip, ending Jan. 11, 1881, she took a fare of 35,000 lbs., of which 8,000 
lbs. were taken in one morning. Two trawlers, absent the same length of 
time, took 4,000 and 8,000 lbs. respectively. The next trip she was absent 
four days and took 35,000 lbs., of which over one-half were caught in a sin- 
gle day.* From Nov. 27, 1880, to Jan. 20, 1881, Capt. Martin took 110,000 
lbs. cod, none of the trawlers exceeding one-third of that amount in the 
same time. Later in the season three netters arrived at Portsmouth in one 
day, one with 28,000 lbs. and the others with 10,000 lbs. each of large cod- 
fish, while the trawlers had much smaller fares. Another day sch. Defiance 
took with her nets 12,000 lbs. steak codfish, and was high line of a fleet of 
twenty-seven vessels, one with twenty trawls out securing only fourteen fish, 
another 800 lbs., and a number of others not exceeding 2,000 lbs. each. 

The nets used by the Ipswich Bay fishermen are made of strong Scotch 
flax twine, twelve-thread, and are of nine-inch mesh (4^ inches square). 
Those used by Capt. Martin were 50 fathoms long and 3 fathoms deep, while 
other vessels, later in the season, used nets 100 fathoms long and 2 fathoms 
deep. The floats were of glass, fifty of them being attached to a fifty-fathom 
net. Bricks were used as sinkers, one being attached to the foot of the net 
directly beneath each of the floats. These fifty-fathom nets cost about $18 
each, and a fourteen-pound trawl-anchor was attached to each end of a gang 
of three nets. They were mostly set in the northern part of the Bay, but a 
few miles from shore, where the current was not strong, one man in a dory 
being able to set or "underrun" three nets, fastened together at the top and 
bottom. 

The advantages of this method are found in the larger size of the fish 
taken, the saving in the cost of bait, the saving of the labor required to bait 
trawls, etc. Capt. Collins is of the opinion that this method may be profita- 
bly employed on the Grand and Western Banks and Banquereau, especially 
on the shoaler parts of these grounds, where the nets could be easily "under- 
run." This would obviate the necessity of leaving the Bank before a fare 
had been secured, as is frequently done, to procure a fresh supply of bait. 

We present four plates illustrating the methods of gill-net codfishing: 

Plate V shows the Norwegian method of setting the nets at the bottom of 
the sea, 1 being the nets, 2 the rocks used for mooring, 3 the buoy, 4 the 
buoy-line, 5 glass floats attached to the buoy-line to keep the slack from 

*On this day sch. Christie Campbell of Portsmouth set ten trawls of 1,000 hooks each 
close to the nets, and caught about 2,000 lbs. of fish to the 18,000 lbs. taken in the nets. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 63 

sinking when there is no current, and 6 the watch-floats, to show the posi- 
tion of the buoy when it is drawn under the water by the tide. 

Plate VI shows the manner in which the nets are set at different depths 
to ascertain where the fish may be found, 1 being the nets, 2 the foot-lines 
holding the nets to the bottom, 3 the stone moorings, 4 the buoy-line, and 
5 the buoy. 

Plate XI shows the way in which the gill-nets were set for underrunning 
in Ipswich Bay. 1 is the end of a gang of nets, 2 the anchor or underrun- 
ning line, 3 the anchor, 4 the buoy-line, 5 the buoy. 

In plate XII the fishermen may be seen in their dories underrunning the 
nets. By this process one man can secure the catch of a gang of nets, for 
which work an entire boat's crew of six or eight men is required in the Nor- 
wegian fishery. Under favorable circumstances one man can set a gang 
of nets by letting the boat drift with the wind or tide and throwing them 
over as it moves along, but as a general rule two men can accomplish this 
much better. 

When setting for underrunning the anchor is first thrown over and 25 
fathoms of line paid out, when the buoy-line is bent to it. The buoy and 
line are then thrown over, with the remainder of the anchor line, the end of 
the latter being made fast to the nets, which are the next to follow. A mid- 
dle buoy is attached to the center of the gang. When the nets are all out 
the other anchor-line, with the buoy-line attached, is paid out, and last of 
all the anchor is thrown over. In underruning, the fisherman goes to one 
of the buoys on the end of his gang of nets, takes it in his dory, and throws 
it out on the other side, hauls in the buoy-line, allowing it to run out on the 
other side, and when the anchor or underrunning line is reached, takes it 
across the dory and hauls along towards the nets. These are underrun by 
pulling them in one side of the dory, as seen in plate XII, removing the 
fish, and allowing the nets to pass over the other side into the water, the 
anchors, which are not disturbed, holding them in position until the work is 
accomplished. 




64 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



A Day at the Beach. 



The spirited illustration on the opposite page tells its own story, and the 
scene is an extremely pleasant one to gaze upon. Many who will peruse 
the "Fishermen's Own Book" will readily call to mind such a festive occa- 
sion, in which they were among the happy participants, either at Coffin's 
Beach, Good Harbor Beach, Half Moon, or Niles'. The first-named is a 
favorite of ours, and where we have passed many pleasant hours of Summer. 

Starting from town in a sail-boat similar to that delineated in the picture, 
it proves a most delightful trip to sail across the harbor, go through the 
canal at the Cut, then follow on until the draw at the railroad bridge allows 
a safe transit, and from thence sail down the Annisquam River, past cozy 
Summer houses and white tents — the homes of the merry campers, who 
joyfully greet us as we sail along. With a fair tide and good breeze the 
passage is quickly made, and we run into Ipswich Bay, coming to anchor off 
the long white beach, which is so inviting that one longs to wade into the 
waters which lave the shore and run over the smooth sandy surface spread 
out for miles. The scene is one of enchanting beauty — the wide expanse 
of water in the foreground, with the white sails .dancing up and down with 
the billows, and the hillsides dotted with Summer houses — that belonging to 
Mr. George J. Marsh, so charmingly attractive, commanding particular no- 
tice, sitting as it does on the very edge of the water, with its solid rocky 
foundations, its cool and cozy verandas, and its hospitable and restful ap- 
pearance. 

But let us return to our party. We must get them ashore, just as in the 
picture. The boys are wild with delight, and the girls not much better. 
See how one waves his hat as he stands with his trousers stripped up. He 
is impatient for the party in the boat to land and join him in his sports. 
One youngster is fanning the fire with his hat, while another is tugging 
some wood to keep the blaze agoing. The four girls will have to be brought 
ashore in the young man's arms — and they are not at all averse to such a 
landing. The old lobster-trap on the sand looks natural, and the dinner 
pot, kettle and basket are suggestive of the chowder and lunch a little later. 
The fishing and rambling, not forgetting the visit to the sand dunes, the 
bathing, wading, sailing, and that dinner, with the prodigious appetites, are 
among the pleasing episodes of the day, and when twilight gathers, once 
more the boat is entered, and with a fair tide and light breeze she skims 
homeward amid song and mirth from the party who have thus spent a de- 
lightful Summer day at the beach. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



65 




66 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



%n TSUemoviam. 



List of Lost Men and Vessels of the Port 

of Gloucester, from 1874 to 1881, 

Inclusive; 

Also, a Table of Losses from 1830 to 1881, 

Inclusive, 

Covering a Period of Fifty-Two Years. 



The "Fishermen's Memorial and Record Book" contains a detailed re- 
port of the losses of vessels and mariners belonging to this port from 1830 
to 1873 inclusive. In addition to the losses of 1863, published therein, 
there was one vessel which was not recorded, the sch. SUCCESS, Capt. 
William H. Parsons, lost in the mackerel fishery on the Nova Scotia shore. 
She was owned by Mr. David G. Allen, 47 tons, and valued at $2,500; in- 
sured for $1,200 in the Gloucester Mutual Fishing Insurance Co. Crew 
saved. 

Herewith we present a list of the los.ses since 1873, completing the record 
for fifty-two years past. In that time 419 Gloucester vessels, of the value 
of $1,810,710, and insured for $1,355,418, have been lost, and 2,249 GlouC' 
ester mariners have perished at sea, making the average annual loss 8 ves- 
sels and 43 lives. 

1874. 

Total loss, 10 vessels and 68 lives. Lost tonnage, 633.17. Value, $49,- 
100. Insurance, $44,975. Eighteen of the lost seamen left widows, and 
children to the number of 37. 2 vessels were lost in the Newfoundland 
fishery, 4 in the Grand Bank fishery, 1 on Western Bank, 1 in the Shore 
Winter fishery, 1 in the Bay St. Lawrence, and 1 in the Menhaden fishery. 
Only 2 lives were lost in the Georges fishery this year. 

Sch. LAURA A. DODD, 94.36 tons, owned by Leighton & Co., lost on 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 67 

Miquelon Island, in February, on the passage to Newfoundland. Crew 
saved. Value, $7,000 ; insurance, $6,000. 

Sch. MARY G. DENNIS, 68 tons, owned by Dennis & Ayer and Capt. 
Randall McDonald, lost in Long Island Sound on the passage from New- 
foundland for New York. Crew saved. Value, $6,500; insurance, $5,000. 

Sch. B. H. SMITH, 65.26 tons, owned by Clark & Somes, lost on Grand 
Bank Feb. 11. Value, $7,000; insurance, $6,000. Crew list — Charles 
Johnson, master ; David Anderson, Matthew Walker, Lewis Dickson, Chas. 
Jackson, Samuel Johnson, John Carroll, Robert Nelson, Samuel Peterson, 
John Nelson, Josiah Howard, and one man name unknown. 

Sch. JOHN CORLISS, 72.54 tons, owned by Walen & Allen, lost near 
Barrington, N. S., on the passage home from Grand Bank, March 17. Crew 
saved. Value, $6,200 ; insurance, $5,800. 

Sch. ROBERT BRUCE, 44 tons, owned by James Mansfield & Sons, lost 
at Cape La Have Nov. 12, on the passage home from Grand Bank. Crew 
saved. Value, $2,000 ; insurance, $1,750. 

Sch. G. G. KIDDER, 66.32 tons, owned by Leonard Walen, lost on 
Grand Bank in November. Value, $5,200 ; insurance, $4,550. Crew list — 
Thomas Downie, master ; Luke White and his son Thomas, John Coolin, 
James Merchant, William Jackson, John Vickary, John Smith, George Beat- 
tis, John McDonald, James McDonald, Rory J. McDonald, Allan Mehlman. 

Sch. WHITE FAWN, 64.49 t° n s, owned by George Friend & Co., lost 
on Western Bank in March. Value, $6, too; insurance, $5,400. Crew list 
— Daniel Nickerson, master; Mark Haskell, Henry Perry, Benjamin A 
Gray, Woodbury Nickerson, Asa R. Nickerson, Walter Hopps, George Gray, 
Henry C. Murphy, James Murray, Thomas Monroe, David Commiskey. 

Sch. WESTERN LIGHT, 20.53 tons, owned by Peter Bolter, engaged 
in the Winter shore fishery, lost on the Maine coast in January. Crew 
saved. Value, $600 ; uninsured. 

Sch. CARRIE FRANCES, 88.67 tons, owned by James G Tarr & Bro.. 
engaged in Bay St. Lawrence mackerel fishery, lost on Malpec bar Aug. 6, 
Crew saved. Value, $7,500 ; insurance; $6,000. 

Sch. SARAH M. SAUNDERS, 50 tons, owned by Leigh ton & Co., en- 
gaged in the menhaden fishery, sunk off Dennisport May 20. Value, $1,000 
insurance, $875. 

Lost Overboard. — Gamaliel Swain from sch. Shiloh, and Capt. Neil Me- 
Kenzie and John DeVoh from sch. George B. Boring, on Grand Bank, Nov. 
8. Archibald Kennedy from sch. Fitz J. Babson, Jan. 11, and John Carpen- 
ter from sch. Ocean Belle, Feb. 10, on Western Bank. Alexander McDon- 
ald from sch. Oceanus, Nov. 21, and Charles McDonald from sch. Enola C. 
Dec. 15, in the Winter shore fishery. Frederic Rhodes from sch. Fred P 
Frye'va Gloucester harbor, Oct. 17, in the shore mackerel fishery. George 



68 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

M. Bryant from sch. Hattie B. West, March 13, and Joseph H. Bird from 
sch. Express, Nov. 23, on Georges. 

Lost in Dories. — Patrick Lynch and James Mcintosh from sch.y] F. 
Allen, Jan. 20 ; Michael McDonald and Harvey Whitman from sch. Carrie 
P. Morton, June 13 ; Capt. Henry Crowell and Rufus Spinney from sch. 
William V. Hutehings, in October ; Charles Lennox from sch. Hereward, 
Aug. 15 ; John Hanley and Stuart Hadley from sch. Everett Steele, Dec. 8 ; 
Benjamin Griffiths and Neil McLane from sch. Clara B. Chapman, Sept. 
14; all on Grand Bank. David Henderson from sch. Edward A. Horton, 
Feb. 26 ; Hiram Saunderson and Harry Anderson from sch. Notice, April 
17; Murdoch Martell and Thomas White from sch. C. B. Manning, May 
30 ; Alonzo Roberts from sch. Sarah C. Pyle, April 20 ; William Phalen 
and Michael Boudrout from sch. Mary Louisa, in May ; Charles McPherson 
and Charles Keefe from sch. Morning Star, Aug. 5 ; all on Western Bank. 

1875. 

16 vessels and 123 lives were lost this year. The loss of tonnage was 
1,050.91. Value of vessels lost, $88,500. Insurance, $81,726. 10 vessels 
and 91 men were lost in the Grand and Western Bank fisheries, 5 vessels 
and 27 lives in the Georges fishery, 1 vessel in the mackerel fishery, 4 lives 
in the shore fishery and 1 in the herring trade. 

Sch. DAVID BURNHAM, 2D, 64.57 tons > owned by Brainard Low & 
Co., lost on the Banks in January. Value, $5,600 ; insurance, $5,000 on 
vessel and outfits. Crew list — Alfred Daggett, master ; William L. Reeves, 
L. H. Hawson, Patrick Powers, James A. Bushey, Frederic Lindsay, George 
W. Stuart, Archibald McDonald, William Coolin, Michael Curtiss, Peter 
H. Miller, Charles Wilson. 

Sch. JOSEPH CHANDLER, 69.94 tons, owned by Leonard Walen, lost 
on the Banks in January. Value, $6,000 ; insurance, $6,050 on vessel and 
outfits. Crew list — Frank McRae, master ; Charles Gunnison, Hugh Ken- 
nedy, F. A. Beaton, Daniel McDonald, Joel McCaleb, Charles Anderson, 
Allan McMullen, Alex. Campbell, Henry Mosier, James McDonald, Duncan 
Mclntire. 

Sch. SARAH H. CRESSY, 63.03 tons, owned by Leighton & Co., lost 
on the Banks in February. Value, $4,600 ; insurance, $4,525 on vessel and 
outfits. Crew list — Daniel McFadden, master ; Allen McKinnon, William 
Freeman, Thomas Joy, Calvin McPhail, K. J. McKenzie, Charles F. Sin- 
clair, Samuel McLean, Malcom Morrison, Alex. Grant, John Maguire, John 
Kelly. 

Sch. J. C. CALL, 78.42 tons, owned by Leighton & Co., lost on the pas- 
sage to the Banks in February. Value, $8,800 ; insurance, $7,700. Crew 
list — Robert S. Baker, master ; Martin Madison, Pius McPhee, David Dura- 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 69 

phy, Joseph Bouchy, Hendrick Jensen, John Donovan, Andrew Peterson, 
Anthony Cash, Henry O'Neil, Richard Bramble, Christian Peterson. 

Sch. PHARSALIA, 76.96 tons, owned by George Steele, lost on the 
Banks in November. Value, $12,000; insurance, $10,000. Crew list — 
Samuel A. Keene, master ; A. W. Getner, J. Peterson, M. Johnson, Oscar 
Wilson, Charles Smith, Martin Peterson, Theodore Reed, Louis L. Baile, 
John Lewis, Howard Steele, John W. Strahan. 

Sch. BLOOMINGDALE, 59.67 tons, owned by Walen & Allen and em- 
ployed in the Bank fishery, lost at Cape Breton, June n. Crew saved. 
Value, $2,500; insurance, $2,188, with $800 additional on outfits. 

Sch. MONADNOCK, 74.49 tons, owned by Poole & Cunningham, lost at 
Magdalen Islands in June. Crew saved. Value, $7,900 ; insurance, with 
outfits, $8,000. 

Sch. HATTIE M. LYONS, 66 70 tons, owned by D. C. & H. Babson,. 
lost in Bank fishery at Cape Breton, Aug. 19. Crew saved. Value, $4,900;, 
insurance, $4,200, with $800 on outfits. 

Sch. JOHN W. DODGE, 83.07 tons, owned by James A. Stetson, lost 
near Yarmouth, N. S., on the passage home from the Banks, Nov. 6. Crew 
saved. Value, $3,000; insurance, $2,200. 

Sch. ABBY M. HEATH, 58.98 tons, owned by Poole & Cunningham,, 
abandoned on the homeward passage from the Banks in December. Value,, 
$4,500; insurance, $2,875. 

Sch. WILLIAM H. THURSTON, 54.58 tons, owned by David Low & 
Co., employed in Georges fishery, lost on Gull Island, N. S., in February.. 
Crew saved. Value, $3,000; insurance, $2,500. 

Sch. J. O. FRIEND, Jr., 5981 tons, owned by Sayward Brothers, run 
down and sunk on Georges, May 5. Crew saved. Value, $5,000 ; insur- 
ance, $4,375 on vessel and $400 on outfits. 

Sch. MONTANA, 62.75 tons, owned by Rowe & Jordan, employed in 
Georges fishery, lost near Cape St. Mary's, May 10. Value, $4,800; insur- 
ance, $4,275, "with $400 on outfits. 

Sch. H. B. STANWOOD, 63.83 tons, owned by Pettingell & Cunning- 
ham, lost on Georges in March. Value, $4,900 ; insurance, $4,300. Crew 
list — Lauchlin McLean, master; Samuel Erickson, David Wooster, Albert 
Faulk, James McLean, Daniel A. McLeod, John McKay, James McKenzie,, 
Charles McLean, Norman McLean, Neil McDonald, Daniel McLeod. 

Sch. WILLIAM C. ENDICOTT, 61.21 tons, owned by William C. Won- 
son, lost on Georges in March. Value, $5,000 ; insurance, including outfits, 
$4,863. Crew list — John Jones, master ; Frederic Smith, James Johnson, 
C. Gunderson, E. Hamlin, Frank Nelson, Andrew Johnson, Peter Olsen, 
James Mahar, John Perow. 

Sch. BELLE OF THE BAY, 52.90 tons, owned by Leighton & Co., em- 



70 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

ployed in the Southern mackerel fishery, run down and sunk off Block Isl- 
and, June 7. Crew saved. Value, $6,000 ; insurance, $4,875. 

Lost Overboard, etc. — The following persons were lost overboard on 
Georges : James Haynes from sch. Mary E. Daniels, March 3 ; Edmund 
Coolin from sch. B. F. Somes, March 4 ; John Wilson from sch. Etta Gott, 
April 19; Michael Pender from sch. Finance, May 14; Harrison T. Clark 
from sch. John Q. Adams, in October. 

August Anderson from sch. El Dorado, on Middle Bank, March 16 ; Mi- 
chael Shea from sch. Elisha Crowell, in Provincetown harbor, Oct. 28 ; 
Charles Anderson from sch. C. P.. Thompson, on the passage to Fortune 
Bay. 

The following persons were lost in the Bank fishery, most of them while 
out in dories to visit their trawls : Angus Harrigan and William Edwards 
from sch. William Parsons, 2d, Jan. 15 ; Rory McDonald from sch. Knight 
Templar, Jan. 17 ;• Pierce Howard from sch. El Dorado, Feb. 14; William 
H. Smith from sch. William A. Pew, in Liverpool (N. S.) harbor, in Febru- 
ary; Blanchard Campbell from sch. N H. Phillips, March 18; John Mar- 
shall and Patrick Manning from sch. Knight Templar, April 6 ; John Wilson 
from sch. Etta Gott, April 19 ; Pius Mclntire and Hugh Gilmore from sch. 
Wachusett, May 3 ; John J. Powers and Norman McLeod from sch. Chal- 
lenge, Sept. 23 ; George F. Wilson from sch. Gertie £. Foster, Sept. 29 ; 
James Greneben from sch. James Bliss, Sept. 22 j John Johnston and John 
Peterson, Oct. 21, and Henry Morine, Nov. 2, from sch. Aberdeen; Morris 
Bryant from sch. Moro Castle, Oct. 26 ; Joseph Morey, William Gallivan, 
John McDonald and Henry Stello from sch. Epes Tarr, Oct. 27 ; Thomas 
Stevens and Peter Johnson from sch. Alfred Walen, Nov. 7 ; Charles Hymes 
from sch. Andrew leighton, Nov. 1 1 ; Nicholas Devereaux and Edward Mc- 
Carty from sch. Peter D. Smith, Nov. 14; Thomas Morrissey and Edward 
Collins from sch. Fitz J. Babson, in November ; Frederic Peterson from 
sch. Onward, in November ; Charles Fogg and John Dennen from sch. Le- 
vanter, on Middle Bank, Nov. 23. 

1876. 

27 vessels, 1 fishing boat and 212 men were lost this year. The vessels 
covered a tonnage of 1,691.44 tons, and were valued at $150,000, with 
$116,222 insurance. Of the lost seaman, 54 left widows, and 112 children 
were made fatherless. 167 men went down in their vessels, 2 1 were lost over- 
board, and 24 were lost in dories while visiting their trawls. 9 vessels were 
lost on Grand Bank, 6 on La Have Bank, 3 on Georges, 3 in the Bay St. 
Lawrence, 3 in the Winter shore fishery, and 1 each in the Western Bank, 
shore mackerel and herring fisheries. 12 vessels and 90 men were lost in 
a series of gales extending from Dec. 9 to 16. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 71 

Sch. HENRIETTA GREENLEAF, 91.22 tons, owned by Leighton & 
Co. and Capt. William H. Greenleaf, capsized and sunk on passage to 
Grand Bank, April 8. Value, $10,000 ; insurance, $8,000. The captain 
and four of the crew were subsequently picked up in a dory, but the follow- 
ing were lost: Franklin Greenleaf, James Peters, Alfred Short, George 
Connors, Joseph Gardner, Bernard Jewett, Charles Pattie, John S. Tobie, 
George S. Rowe and Freeman Crawford. The four first named were 
drowned in their berths , the last-mentioned died of exposure in the dory 
which was picked up, and the others were never heard from after the dories 
parted company the evening after the disaster. 

Sch. JANET MIDDLETON, 66.43 tons, owned by Smith & Oakes, lost 
on Grand Bank in April or May. Value, $7,550 ; insurance, $6,057. Crew 
list — William Wentzel, master, and his brother, name unknown ; Charles 
Reeves, Caleb Wheaton, John McFadden, Simon Landry, Jerry Saunders, 
John Russell, Walter S. Williams, Samuel P. Remick, John McFarland. 

Sch. JAMES L. SHUTE, 105.57 tons, owned by Shute & Merchant, also 
lost on Grand Bank in April or May. Value, $13,000 ; insurance, $10,275. 
Crew list — George H. Norwood, master ; Percy H. Norwood, Felix DeCost, 
Charles B. Turner, Edwin P. Turner, George W. Fyle, Robert S. Mills, John 
Cody, William Sampson, Michael Trueby, Paul Veno, Henry Cook, William 
O'Brien, John W. Porter. 

Sch. WALTER M. FALT, 67.46 tons, owned by Leighton & Co., lost on 
Grand Bank in September. Wreck seen dismasted and water-logged. Crew 
never heard from. Value, $8,800; insurance, $7,100. Crew list — Bennett 
Perry, master ; John P. Colby, James Keyes, John Ginevan, Thomas Da- 
vidson, Patrick Dugan, James Wheeler, John Phalan, Charles L. Austin, 
Thomas Burke, George Williams, Patrick Busteed. 

Sch. WILLIAM T. MERCHANT, 76.76 tons, owned by Shute & Mer- 
chant, lost on Grand Bank in December. Value, $5,800 ; insurance, $5,075, 
with $1,000 additional on outfits. Crew list — Angus Anderson, master; 
Barney Frazier, Charles Frazier, brothers ; John Barry, Robert Miles, Alex. 
Babbin, Samuel Thurber, Charles Anderson, B. W. Alby, John McKay, 
Joseph Gosby, Moses Stafford. 

Sch. D. E. WOODBURY, 65.25 tons, owned by Smith & Gott, lost on 
Bank trip, in December. Value, $5,200 ; insurance, $4,550, with $700 on 
outfits. Crew list — Franklin D. Pinkham, master ; David S. Corson, An- 
drew M. Anderson, William Olsen, Oliver Olsen, Andrew Hanson, John 
Brant, Edward Sperling, James S. McLeare, and one man name unknown. 

Sch. JOB JOHNSON, 64.07 tons, owned by Joseph O. Procter, run down 
and sunk on Grand Bank in July. Crew saved. Value, $6,350 ; insurance, 
$5,182. 

Sch. DANIEL A. BURNHAM, 72.35 tons, owned by Leonard Walen, 



72 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

capsized and abandoned in Grand Bank fishery, Dec. 10. Crew taken off. 
Value, $6,500 ; insurance, $5,500. 

Sch. GETTYSBURG, 70.32 tons, owned by Cunningham & Thompson, 
employed in Bank fishing, abandoned in December. Crew taken off and 
landed at Plymouth, Eng. Value, $5,400 j insurance, $4,350. 

Sch. J. F. ALLEN, 62.63 tons, owned by B. Maddocks & Co., lost on 
Western Bank in October. Value, $4,625 ; insurance on vessel and outfits, 
$5,025. Crew list — John Campbell, master; William McNare, Joseph Brown, 
James Brown, Alpheus Campbell, Woodbury Lewis, Angus McDonald, 
Smith McDonald, William Rogers, Thomas Russell. 

Sch. KEARSARGE, 59.03 tons, owned by John Pew & Son, lost on 
Georges in April. Value, $4,500; insurance, $1,500. Crew list — Solomon 
Burchell, master ; John Haffey, Patrick Dorsey, Joseph Fritz, Frank Hep- 
son, Joseph Fritz, Jr., Joseph Sawyer, John Francis, Joseph Enos, Murdock 
Smith, Charles King. 

Sch. SARATOGA, 74.96 tons, owned by George Steele, lost on Georges 
in May. Value, $10,000; insurance, $8,800. Crew list — John McMillan, 
master; John Hiltz, John D. Carter, William Mackay, Edward McGuire, 
Albert Walker, Andrew J. Woodman, F. E. Lewis, Jr., John Murphy, 
Charles Richards, William B. Walker. 

Sch. LANCET, 56.76 tons, owned by Joseph O. Procter, engaged in the 
Georges fishery, abandoned on Georges Dec. 10. One of the crew, John 
Kirby, washed overboard and drowned. Value, $3,000 ; insurance, $2,500. 

Sch. HOWARD STEELE, 60.37 tons, owned by George Steele, lost on 
La Have Bank in December. Value, $5,150; insurance, including outfits, 
$5,125. Crew list — Edward Murphy, master; William Silvey, Patrick Cos- 
tello, Barnard P. Scanlan, George Melroy, Peter Stapleton, Edward Walsh, 
Thomas Ready, Peter Collins, James McQuillan, Daniel Curtis. 

Sch. JOHN S. TYLER, 63 tons, owned by Sidney Friend & Bro., lost 
on La Have Bank in December. Value, $4,600 ; insurance on vessel and 
outfits, $4,425. Crew list — Arthur O'Neal, master; Felix O'Neal, Murdoch 
McCloud, Alexander McCloud, his son, Edward Berry, William Laney, 
George Allen, Louis Wilson, William Sullivan, Henry Maddox. 

Sch. J. F. HUNTRESS, 63.73 tons, owned by Samuel Haskell, lost on 
La Have Bank in December. Value, $5,900; insurance, $5,163 on vessel 
and $400 on outfits. Crew list — Richard Rose, master; George L. Hen- 
drickson, Frank M. Anderson, John M. Johnson, Charles J. Anderson, An- 
drew Anderson, Harry Beck, Peter J. Olsen, Thomas Thompson, John Beck. 

Sch. MODENA B. JERAULD, 70.34 tons, owned by D. C. & H. Bab- 
son, lost on La Have Bank in December. Value, $5,300 ; insurance, $3,900. 
Crew list — Charles P. Mitchell, master ; Edward Haines, John C. Haines, 
brothers ; Michael Keefe, Freeman Snow, William Snow, his brother, 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 73 

Edward Herring, B. D. Joyce, Lewis D. Martin, Emanuel Rose, Daniel 
Gardner. 

Sch. ROBERT EMMETT, 45.25 tons, owned by Charles Parkhurst, lost 
on La Have Bank in December. Value, $4,500 ; uninsured. Crew list — 
Joseph Grey, master; John E. Saunders, Seth S. Colby, Samuel Spinney, 
Alex. Boyd, Edward Dodge, Samuel Tyng, William Michaels, Thomas 
Tarreo. 

Sch. WYOMING, 55.21 tons, owned by McKenzie, Hardy & Co., lost on 
La Have Bank in December. Value, $5,500; insurance, $4,732. Crew list 
— Henry Nauss, master, and his brother Arthur ; James Jeffrey, Warren 
Williams, Thomas Haney, Charles Forbes, Alex. Thompson, John Haskins, 
George Crittenden, Joseph Zink. 

Sch. COL. ELLSWORTH, 82.45 tons, owned by Capt. Oliver F. How- 
ard and engaged in the Bay St. Lawrence mackerel fishery, lost at the Mag- 
dalen Islands, Aug. 20. Crew saved. Value, $5,500; insurance, $4,800. 

Sch. RELIANCE, 46.49 tons, owned by Walen & Allen, also employed 
in Bay mackereling, lost near Canso, Sept. 21. Crew saved. Value, 
$3,600; insurance, $2,550. 

Sch. TIBER, 44.70 tons, also owned by Walen & Allen, another of the 
Bay St. Lawrence fleet, wrecked at Louisburg, Sept. 29. Crew saved. 
Value, $1,775 5 insurance, $850. 

Sch. CHALLENGE, 36.16 tons, owned by Eben H. and Franklin Griffin, 
wrecked on the Maine coast in the shore mackerel fishery, July 6. Crew 
saved. Value, $1,000; uninsured. 

Sch. JOHN STORY, Jr., 27.48 tons, owned by Capt. Charles H. Orne 
and engaged in the Winter shore fishery, run down and sunk off Eastern 
Point, Jan. 27. Crew saved. Value, $800; insurance, $700. 

Sch. GLENWOOD, 62.44 tons, owned by Rowe & Jordan, also employed 
in the shore fishery, run into and sunk off Highland Light, Feb. 19. Crew 
saved. Value, $6,000; insurance, $4,113. 

Sch. MAZEPPA, 47.57 tons, owned by Capt. Gilman Roberts, lost at 
Brace's Cove in the shore fishery, Nov. 2. Crew saved. Value, $1,000; 
insurance, $700. 

Sch. ELLEN FRANCES, 55.44 tons, owned by B. Maddocks & Co., lost 
on the passage from Souris, P. E. I., with a load of potatoes, in December. 
Value, $2,450; insurance, $2,144 on vessel and $1,000 on cargo. Crew 
lost. Commanded by Capt. John Lunergan of Beverly, with a crew of four 
men, names unknown. 

Boat BONANZA, owned by Capt. John Carter, was wrecked in the off- 
shore fishery, off Plymouth, May 23. Crew saved. Value, $600 ; uninsured. 

Sch. GEORGE PEABODY, of Salem, chartered by Capt. George W' 



74 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Plumer of this city, was wrecked in the Bay St. Lawrence in October, and 
sold for $1,500. She is not included in our figures. 

Lost Overboard. — Louis Beck from sch. Sarah C. Pyle, Jan. 4 ; Capt. 
Maurice Walen from sch. Marathon, on Georges, Feb. 22 ; Capt. Robert N. 
Mackey on the passage from Fortune Bay, Feb. 14; Dennis Lyon from sch. 
Nathaniel Webster, Feb. 24 ; Capt. Martin Nelson from sch. Arizona, on 
Georges, Feb. 24; S. Augustus Webb from sch. John S. Presson, on Grand 
Bank, Feb. 26 ; Nathaniel Gillis from sch. David Crockett and Nelson Mitch- 
ell from sch. Edwin C. Dolliver, on Grand Bank March xi ; John O'Brien 
from sch. Joseph O., on Georges, March 26 ; George Carpenter from sch. 
Robert Emmett, on Georges, April 10; N. T. Chatto from sch. Bloomer, off 
Portsmouth, July 24 ; Alfred Meyers from sch. Edward E. Webster, on 
Grand Bank, July 4 ; Richard Tibbetts from sch. Charles P. Barrett, on 
Middle Bank, Oct. 12 ; James Sigsworth, Frank Dunn and Daniel McNeil 
from sch. E. A. Smith, on Grand Bank, Oct. 16 ; Michael Morgan from sch. 
Victor, on Grand Bank, in December ; Joseph Teddy and Charles Cook from 
sch. Ruth Groves, on Georges, Dec. 1 1 ; George Miller from sch. Howard 
on Grand Bank, Dec. 10. 

Lost in Dories. — Charles H. Fisher and Chester W. Denton from sch. 
Polar Wave, Jan. 19 ; John G. Smith and John Davis from sch. Restless, in 
January ; all on Western Bank. Herbert Gorman, mate of sch. Flash, at 
Newfoundland, Feb. 24. Daniel Brynnelson and Stephen Stone from sch. 
Alfred Walen, on La Have Bank, March 17 ; Capt. John McCloud from 
sch. Addison G. Procter, Feb. 8 ; William Norton and Albert Sulkey from 
sch. Frederic Gerring, Jr., Feb. 28 ; James Horton and Thomas Kennedy 
from sch. Edwin C. Dolliver, March 3 ; George Patience and Charles An- 
derson from sch. Fitz J. Babson and John McMillan and John McAuley 
from sch.y; F. Allen, April 18; David Shearer and William Diggers from 
sch. Hrewxrd, June 27 ; Charles Olsen and Charles Strimm from sch. Aber- 
d:en, in August; Nicholas Surratt from sch. Shiloh, Sept. 20; Angus Mc- 
Kay and George Party from sch. Epes Tarr, Sept. 27 ; Charles Haley from 
sch. Charles P. Thompson, Oct. 6 ; all on Grand Bank. 

1877. 

This was a year of general depression in the fishing industry, but the 
losses were comparatively light. 7 vessels were lost in the fishing busi- 
ness and 1 in the coasting trade, their tonnage being 722.33, and their value 
about $45,000. Insurance about $22,000. Number of lives lost in the 
fisheries, 38. 

Sch. MAY QUEEN, 53.56 tons, owned by Capt. Isaac P. Peterson, 
wrecked in shore fishery on Coney Island, Jan. 2. Crew saved after seven 
hours' extreme peril and suffering. Value, $3,400; insurance, $2,975. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 75 

Sch. ELIZA JANE, 46.43 tons, owned by James Mansfield & Sons, lost 
near Shelburne, N. S., Jan. 23. Crew saved. Value, $2,400 ; insurance, 
$2,400. 

Sch. GEN. GRANT, 86.11 tons, owned by John Pew & Son, lost at New- 
foundland in January. Crew saved. Value, $5,550; insurance, $2,500. 

Sch. MARY BURNHAM, 65.71 tons, owned by Harvey Knowlton, Jr., 
lost on La Have Bank in January. Value, $4,712; insurance, $4,623. 
Crew list — Alexander Lyle, master ; James Howard, John Willow; David S. 
Merchant, Thomas Lauray, Lawrence McVarish, Randall McVarish, Alex- 
ander McVarish, James Campbell, Robert King, Edward Martin. 

Sch. CLARA B. CHAPMAN, 68.19 tons, owned by Dennis & Ayer, lost 
at Sandy Point in May. Crew saved. Value, $5,114; insurance, $4,975* 
Wreck sold for $1,000, 

Sch. ANN MARIA, 41.78 tons, owned by Gardner K. and Howard 
Wonson, and employed in the Georges fishery, lost on Newburyport bar 
July 1. Crew saved with considerable difficulty. Value, $1,050; insur- 
ance, $928. 

Sch. BELLE, 23.15 tons, owned by George R. Gates and others, lost 
near Portsmouth, N. H., in the shore fishery, Aug. 17. Crew saved. Val- 
ue, $750; insurance, $600. 

Three-masted sch G. P. POMEROY, 337.40 tons, lost with all her crew 
on the passage from Brunswick, Ga., for Bath, Me., with a cargo of ship 
timber, in an April gale. About two-thirds owned in Gloucester and one- 
third in Manchester, Beverly, Boston and Salem. Commanded by Capt. 
Francis A. Bryant of Gloucester. $1,500 insurance in the Gloucester Fire 
Insurance Co., and other small amounts elsewhere. 

Lost Overboard. — Capt. Daniel M. Gray from sch. B. F. Somes, March 
13 ; John Kennedy from sch. Adelia Hartwell, March 26 ; Manuel Veada 
from sch. Dictator, Oct. 6 ; and Hans Antone Olsen from sch. Arizona, Nov. 
2, all in Georges fishery. Neil McPhee from sch. Highflyer, in New York 
harbor, in May. Walter H. Merchant from sch. Etta Gott, in the Bay St. 
Lawrence, Sept. 22. 

Capsized in Dories. — Alphonso Babson and Gorham Parsons in Ips- 
wich Bay, March 13. Andrew Anderson off Eastern Point, May 7. Harry 
Miller, of sch. Eben B. Phillips, in Gloucester harbor, Oct. 10. George B. 
Michael and William Burnham from sch. Eben B. Phillips, March 18 ; John 
Daniels and Edward Spencer, of sch. Frederic Gerring, Jr., March 27 ; Ed- 
ward Coles and Howard Powers from sch. Edward E. Webster, and James 
Murphy from sch. Eben Parsons, April 12 ; Harry Richardson from sch. 
Lizzie K. Clark, May 21 ; Lemuel Parsons and John Holmes from sch. Co- 
rinna H. Bishop, May 30; Neil Johnson and Charles Culvert from sch. 
Marion, June 3 ; Adolph Jackson and Matthew Huntwell from sch. Andrew 



76 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Leighton, Sept. 26 ; and Daniel McDonald and Albert Mizner from sch. G. 
P. Whitman, Nov. 4, all on the Banks. 

Capt. Joseph Campbell killed by falling from aloft on board sch. Gertie 
E. Foster, on the Banks, Nov. 6. 

1878. 

The fishing losses for this year numbered n vessels, 795.90 tons, valued 
at $60,794 and insured for $48,767, and 55 lives. Two Gloucester coasting 
vessels were lost this year, making the total number of vessels 13, tonnage 
907.57, value $64,794, insurance $49,967, lives 56. 

Sch. CARRIE P. MORTON, 84.19 tons, owned by Walen & Allen, lost 
on Grand Bank in January or February. Value, $7,200 ; insurance, $6,300. 
Crew list — Antone S. Downs, master ; Joseph Gay, Angus McLean, Jesse 
McLoud, Anthony Holthes, Augustus Frazier, Emanuel Enos, Charles 
Burke, Lawrence Powers, James Lundry, John Rose, David Atwater, Sam- 
uel Bragg, LeVanze. 

Sch. JULIA WOOD, 92.89 tons, owned by James Mansfield & Sons, 
wrecked near Liverpool, N. S., in April. Crew saved. Value, $9,000 ; in- 
surance, $7,878. Wreck sold for $700. 

Sch. ORONOCO, 48.21 tons, owned by John Pew & Son, lost on Straits- 
mouth Island, July 5. Crew saved. Value, $2,000; insurance, $1,050. 
Wreck sold for $16.50. 

Sch. LILIAN GERTRUDE, 58.06 tons, owned by Daniel Sayward and 
others, lost on Mt. Desert Rock, July 12. Crew saved. Loss, $5,500; 
insurance, $4,454. 

Sch. LIZZIE & NAMARI, 94.09 tons, owned by George Laturen, mas- 
ter, and Almon Mason of Pigeon Cove, lost near Matinicus, Aug. 31. 
Crew saved. Value, $7,000; insurance, $6,000. Wreck sold for $50. 

Sch. MARY LOUISE, 68.15 tons > owned by Daniel Sayward and others 
and employed in the Georges fishery, run down and sunk 60 miles east of 
Boston Light, Sept. 1. Crew saved. Value, $5,475 ; insurance, $4,592. 

Sch. RIVAL, 53.88 tons, owned by Sylvanus Smith, lost at the Magdalen 
Islands, in September. Crew saved. Value, $2,054; insurance, $1,798. 
Wreck sold for $430. 

Sch. RIVERDALE, 61.41 tons, owned by Maddocks & Co., run into and 
sunk off Thacher's Island, Nov. 23. Crew rescued. Value, $4,240 ; insur- 
ance, $3,423. 

Sch. CUNARD, 74.65 tons, owned by James G. Tarr & Bro., lost on the 
Banks in November or December. Value, $6,000 ; insurance, $3,600. Crew 
list — Garrett Galvin, master, Philip Hennesy, John H. Reynolds, Joseph 
Lockwood, Andrew Crowell, James and John Harding, brothers, John Ryan, 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 77 

Allen C. Brian, John Drury, Daniel McLeod, James Tobin, and two others 
shipped at Port Mulgrave, whose names are unknown. 

Sch. NIMBUS, 60.30 tons, owned by Leonard Walen, wrecked on Cape 
Negro, in December. Value, $4,470; insurance, $3,911, with $1,000 addi- 
tional on outfits. Two of the crew, Augustus Long and Andrew Robinson, 
were drowned. 

Sch. MOSES ADAMS, 99.87 tons, owned by Samuel Lane & Bro., aban- 
doned at sea, Dec. 21. Crew rescued with considerable difficulty. Value, 
$5,155 ; insurance, $4,761. 

Sch. MODENA, 61.48 tons, owned by Bennett Griffin, lost in coasting 
trade off Cape Cod, June 21. Crew saved. Value, $1,000 ; uninsured. 

Sch. SAM'L WONSON, 50.19 tons, owned by B. Haskell & Sons and 
employed in coasting trade, wrecked in Liscomb harbor, N. S., Dec. 20. 
Crew saved. Value, $3,000; insurance, $1,200. 

Lost Overboard. — James McQuarrie from sch. Moses Adams, on passage 
from Newfoundland, Jan. 21. John Manuel from sch. Polar Wave, March 
12, and Joseph Smith from sch. Andrew Leighton, Sept. 22, in the Bank 
fishery. Thomas Smith from sch. Dictator, March 20, and Samuel K. 
Pearce from sch. Mary Story, Oct. 13, on Georges. Capt. Philip Conley 
from sch. Smuggler, on the passage from Grand Menan, Dec. 19. William 
Martin from sch. Hyperion, off Milk Island, Nov. 18. 

Lost Overboard by Collision. — Thomas Kirby from sch. Racer in col- 
lision with sch. Electric Flash, in April ; Willis Bateman from sch. Edward 
E. Webster in collision with sch. Hereward, on the Banks, in May ; Nelson 
M. Doane and William Post from sch. Sarah C. Pyle in collision with an 
unknown bark, off Thacher's Island, June 1. 

Capsized in Dories. — Alex. McGinnis from sch. Centennial, Jan. 20; 
John Peterson and Augustus Peterson from sch. Andrew Leighton, March 
22 ; Judson W. Allen from sch. Knight Templar, April 8 ; Sylvester Mitch- 
ell and Albert Eldridge from sch. Ossipee, Aug. 22 ; all in the Bank fishery. 
Thomas King from sch. Annie C. Norwood, and John Dakin from sch. 
Ellen H. Powers, Dec. 19, in the shore fishery. 

Lost in Dories. — Angus McKenzie and Allen Grant from sch. John S. 
Presson, Feb. 18, and William Tate and Charles Russell from sch. Josie M. 
Calderwood, Oct. 9, on the Banks; William Cole and Lemuel Hagan from 
sch. Mary F. Chisholm, on La Have Bank, Dec. 19. 

Capt. H. A. Bearse of the coasting schooner Hattie N. Gove was knocked 
overboard and drowned in New London harbor, Dec. 2. 

1879- 
This was the most disastrous year ever experienced in the Gloucester fish- 
eries, so far as loss of life is concerned, although the number of vessels lost 



78 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

was less than in 1873 In 1879, 249 Gloucester fishermen sailed from port 
never to return. Thi number of vessels lost was 29. Of these, 15 were 
lost in the terrible gale of Feb. 20 and 21, 13 on Georges and 2 on the 
Banks, leaving 57 widows and 140 fatherless children to bewail their loss. 
This terrible calamity appealed forcibly to the sympathies of the benevolent, 
and contributions for the relief of the destitute were received from all parts 
of the land to the amount of $28,216.72. 4 vessels and 37 lives were lost 
in an October gale. 

The loss of tonnage in 1879 was J >893.36. Value, $111,056. Insurance, 
$90,582. Besides the losses in the February gale, during the year 5 vessels 
were lost in the Bank fishery, 3 in the mackerel fishery, 2 on freighting voy- 
ages, and 1 each squiding, shore fishing, baiting, and on La Have Bank. 

The losses in the February gale were as follows : 

ON THE BANKS. 

Sch. EDWIN C. DOLLIVER, 87.07 tons, owned by Walen & Allen, 
abandoned Feb. 26. Crew taken off. Value, $7,000 ; insurance, $5,800. 

Sch. GWENDOLEN, 82.41 tons, owned by Cunningham & Thompson. 
Value, $7,154; insurance, $6,010. Crew list — Zadock Hawkins, master; 
Lyman H. Morey, steward ; Edward Landry, Richard Hurley, Alex. Mc- 
Kenzie, John McKay, Michael Donahoe, William Nelson, Augustus Crow- 
ell, John McGuire, James Calwell, Daniel McDonald, William Chute, Wil- 
liam C. Wilson. 

ON GEORGES. 

Sch. ANNIE HOOPER, 69.27 tons, owned by B. Maddocks & Co. 
Value, $3,485 ; insurance, $3,112. Crew list — Patrick Foley, master; Sam- 
uel Shano, steward ; Joseph Smith, David Hogan, Manuel Smith, Stephen 
Halley, Jackson Clark, Fitz E. Oakes, Michael Hart, William Fisher alias 
Anderson, Peter Peterson. 

Sch. ANNIE LINWOOD, 59.09 tons, owned by Rowe & Jordan. Value, 
$3,725; insurance, $3,322. Crew list — Thomas Connell, master; Patrick 
O'Brien, Frederic J. Knowles, Daniel D. Morrison, John Silva, Frank Fer- 
ris, John Smith, John Lawrence, Angus McDonald, August Mitchell and 
one man whose name is unknown. 

Sch. GEORGE B. LORING, 58.50 tons, owned by George Norwood & 
Son. Value, $2,119; insurance, $1,917. Crew list — George W.Lane, mas- 
ter ; Joseph M. Lane, brother to master ; Reuben H. Ellis, Morris Riley, 
Ambrose Thebedo, James M. Boynton, George Whitman, James White, 
George Yates, Edward P. Townsend. 

Sch. JACOB BACON, 66.44 tons, owned by Cunningham & Thompson. 
Value, $5,186; insurance, $4,600. Crew list — Christian Anderson, master; 
Richard Carroll, James Powers, Charles Fox alias Johnson, Patrick Sulli- 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 79 

van, James Bowie, Conrad Carleson, Frank White, John Sherman, Edward 
F. Jameson, John Wilson, and Hugh Hennan, steward. 

Sch. JOHN DOVE, 59.02 tons, owned by Smith & Oakes. Value, $3,193 ; 
insurance, $2,857. Crew list — Lewis Caliste, master ; Alex. Girrior, John 
Coughlin, Theophilus V. Porter, Samuel West, William Delroy, Joseph 
Enos, Benjamin Decoste, Charles Campbell, and Edward and Benjamin 
Levange, brothers. 

Sch. JOSHUA S. SANBORN, 63.89 tons, owned by David Low & Co. 
Value, $2,795 ') insurance, $2,008. Crew list — George Gray, master; Wil- 
liam Carter, John H. Holmes, Michael Allen, Edward Walton, John J. Wil- 
liams, James Burge, Roland D. Blodgett, Bertram Blake, John A. Howard, 
Charles Claherty. 

Sch. LOTTIE F. BABSON, 61.96 tons, owned by D. C. & H. Babson. 
Value, $2,505; insurance, $1,096. Crew list — Seward Reynolds, master; 
Robert Reynolds, brother to master ; John Graves, Lorenzo Chute, John 
Batson, Daniel Tatton, George Pooler, Samuel Thompson, Joseph Boone, 
James Boshey, and Fred. Hall, steward. 

Sch. MARY CARLISLE, 66.78 tons, owned by Andrew Leighton. Val- 
ue, $3,425; insurance, $3,060. Crew list — Joseph Scott, master; John L. 
Ingersoll, Ralph Irving, Philip Vibert, Cyrus Young, William Merchant, 
Alex. Cogill, Oliver Thompson, Alex. McMaster, Peter McKinnon, George 
Matthews. 

Sch. MARY LOW, 63.97 tons, owned by David Low & Co. Value, 
$2,930; insurance, $2,126. Crew list — James F. Dunton, master; John 
Tarr; Phillippe Deveaux, Elkanah Nason, Ariel P. Burnham, Paul Theba- 
deau, Joseph King, Fred. Kenniston, Frank Silva, Joseph White, Peter 
Jennison. 

Sch. MAUD & EFFIE, 85.23 tons, owned by Willard G. Pool. Value, 
$5>735 ') insurance, $4,581. Crew list — John Mclsaac, master; Michael 
Mclsaac, his brother, Joseph Nowlan, their brother-in-law ; Edward Gordon, 
Roland McDonald, Allen McDonald of East Boston; Joseph Rogers, Joseph 
McAskell ; Edward Shearman, the latter's brother-in-law; Andrew Swinson, 
Neal Beaton, William McMaster, William Frazier, Roderic Steele. 

Sch. MORNING STAR, 52.92 tons, owned by Joseph O. Procter, Jr. 
Value, $1,895; insurance, $1,721. Crew list — John B. Spanks, master; 
David B. Gorman, William W. Shelton, Antone Aveney, David Jones, F. 
H. Stimpson, John Black, James Roberts, Charles Ibey, Michael Muldoon. 

Sch. OTIS D. DANA, 64.28 tons, owned by Pettingell & Cunningham. 
Value, $3,335 ; insurance, $2,981. Crew list — William Willoughby, master ; 
Archibald McCatheren, Boley Bushey, John Garvey, George C. Stearns, 
Charles Netherwood, John Atwood, Frederic Hill, Paul A. Peterson, and 
Charles Mason, steward. 



80 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Sch. SEA QUEEN, 61.47 tons, owned by Andrew Leighton. Value, 
$3,242; insurance, $2,900. Crew list — Charles Wilson, master; Nicholas 
M. Thompson, Peter Trumbull, A. W. Peterson, Olof Jensen, Neils Han- 
son, Axel Olssen, John Anderson, William Brown, August Peterson. 

OTHER LOSSES. 

Sch. IDA E. BAKER, 63.69 tons, owned by George Norwood & Son, 
lost on Western Bank in April. Value, $4,380; insurance, $3,783. Crew 
list — M. H. Adams, master; John Benson, Robert Mclnies, Joseph McDon- 
ald, George Major, Frank Oscar, William T. Long, Charles Johnson, Charles 
White, John McNair, Hugh McCormack, John Jerriwa. 

Sch. WILLIAM THOMPSON, 84.15 tons, owned by Cunningham & 
Thompson, lost on a Bank halibuting trip in April. Value, $7,200; insur- 
ance, $6,057. Crew list — Christian Olsen, master ; Dennis Thelning, Chas. 
Anderson, Chresten Johnson, Samuel Nordahl, John P. Johnson, Andrew 
Hanson, Martin Soderstrum, Carl Leweau, Martin Anderson alias Johnson, 
Julius Manguson s Elias Fladen, Martin Johnson, and Charles S. Olsen, 
brother of the master. 

Sch. N. H. PHILLIPS, 66.93 tons, owned by William McDonald and 
others, lost on Banquereau in October. Value, $4,500 ; insurance, $3,862. 
Crew list — William McDonald, master ; John Welch, John McKinnon, Al- 
bion Bowden, John McDonald, Charles Crawler, Neal McDonald, Michael 
Mclnnis, John Steele, John and Richard Tobin, brothers, Duncan Mclsaac, 
Clifton Thompson. 

Sch. HARVEY C. MACK AY, 64.77 tons, owned by William Parsons, 
2d, & Co., lost on a Bank codfishing trip in October. Value, $3,595 ; in- 
surance, $3,071. Crew list — Frank Nolan, master; George Holly, W. H. 
Bartlett, William Higgins, Charles W. Hunt, Everett Campbell, Augustus 
Campbell, Frank Crowell, Frank Hobbs, and a young man named Morton. 

Sch. ANDREW LEIGHTON, 83.56 tons, owned by Cunningham & 
Thompson, lost on La Have Bank in October. Value, $6,800 ; insurance, 
$5,698. Crew list — Oscar W. Alden, master ; Andrew McDonald, Samuel 
Grassy, Oscar Wistar, Frank Nelson, Martin Hogan, Charles Berg, Martin 
Strahan, Adolph Nelson, Frank Veaneau, Frank Flake, John Boudrout, 
Andrew Olsen, Henry Johnson. 

Sch. CITY OF GLOUCESTER, 68.64 tons, owned by Rowe & Jordan, 
bound on a Bank trip, lost off Chatham, June 1. Crew saved. Value, 
$4,665 ; insurance, $4,146. 

Sch. ALICE M. LEWIS, 66.82 tons, owned by Capt. Jesse Lewis, lost 
in the Southern mackerel fishery at Townsend Inlet, April 14. Crew saved. 
Value, $3,560 ; insurance, $2,678. 

Sch. GEORGE S. LOW, 61.69 tons, owned by David Low & Co., lost 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 81 

in the Southern mackerel fishery near Townsend Inlet, May n. Crew 
saved. Value, $3,000; insurance, $2,200. 

Sch. CARRIE F. BUTLER, 68.35 tons, owned by William Parsons, 
wrecked at Rustico, Oct. 31. Crew saved. Value, $2,000; insurance, 
$1,500. 

Sch. O. S. BAILEY, 58.22 tons, owned by Hardy Brothers and others, 
abandoned at sea on passage from Dominica for Boston, Nov. 22. Crew 
rescued. Value, $6,000; insurance, $4,700. 

Sch. TRENTON, 41.72 tons, owned by David Low & Co., wrecked near 
Deer Island, May 11. Crew saved. Value, $1,250; insurance, $500. 

Sch. CADET, 60.38 tons, owned by B. Haskell & Sons and employed in 
the squid fishery, wrecked at Langlaid, N. S., Aug. 14. Crew saved. Val- 
ue, $2,500; insurance, $1,600. 

Sch. RIVAL, 53.88 tons, owned by Sylvanus Smith, wrecked at Rye 
Beach in the Winter shore fishery, Feb. 24. Crew saved. Value, $1,810; 
insurance, $1,534. 

Sch. SPARKLING WAVE, 48.66 tons, owned by Wonson Brothers, 
wrecked in the bait fishery on Shovelful Shoal, May 15. Crew saved. 
Value, $1,475 '> insurance, $1,253. 

Lost Overboard. — John Clancy knocked overboard from sch. S. R. Lane, 
Feb. 8, and Michael O'Malley fell overboard from sch. Edward A. Horton, 
Feb. 19, in Winter shore fishery. Daniel McDougal washed overboard 
from sch. J. J. Clark about 70 miles off Highland Light, March 6. George 
Hunson jumped overboard from sch. Jamestown in the harbor, April 16. 
Michael Tobin washed from bowsprit of sch. John Smith, Aug. 29, on 
Georges. 

Capsized in Dories. — Charles and Clarence Myers, brothers, from sch. 
Oceanus, in Winter shore fishery, Jan. 28. Andrew Johnson from sch. Wil- 
liam H. Oakes, in February; George Ryan from sch. William H Foye, 
March 2 ; Lewis Thompson, Gordon Scott and William Nickerson from 
sch. Herbert M. Rogers, March 10; James McDonald, George Perkins, Da- 
vid B. Tinker and Joseph Goslin from sch. Hattie S. Clark, and Thomas 
Williams of sch. Ernest F. Norwood, March 25 (while going ashore at Bliss 
Harbor, N. B.) ; David Morrison from sch. Mary F. Chisholm, in August; 
John and Malcom McCloud and James Publicover from sch. Laura Nelson, 
Dec. 26 ; all in the Bank fisheries. Robert McDonald and Joseph Chis- 
holm from sch. Highflyer, on Jeffrey's, Dec. 1. 

Lost in Dories.— William Andrews and Nicholas Colberg from sch. Al- 
ice G. Wonson, Jan. 29 ; John Olsen and Charles Hanson from sch. Andrew 
Leighton, March 18 ; Arthur Hennan and Thomas Davidson from sch. Gath- 
erer, March 31 all on the Banks. 



82 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

1880. 

4 schooners and 3 boats, of a tonnage of 300.44, valued at $21,000 and 
insured for $15,972, were lost this year. The number of lives lost was 52. 
1 schooner was lost in the Bank ba 1- but fishery, 1 in the Winter shore fish- 
ery, 1 on Georges and 1 on Cashe's. 1 fishing boat was lost on Eastern 
Point, 1 on the coast of Maine, and 1 was run down and sunk in Ipswich Bay. 

Sch. ANNIE C. NORWOOD, 60.05 tons, owned by George Norwood & 
Son, lost on Cashe's, March 23. Value, $3,610; insurance, $3,310. Crew 
list — Joseph M. Hurst, master ; Joseph Garrett, William Isaac, William 
Fardy, David Roberts, Patrick" Neal, James Anderson, George Crawford, 
William Holland, Charles Higgins, Thomas Orne, Lawrence Nelson, Ed- 
ward W. Wilson , Charles Armstrong. 

Sch. NATHANIEL WEBSTER, 76.04 tons, owned by D. C. & H. Bab- 
son, lost on a Bank halibuting trip, in November. Value, $6,000; insur- 
ance, $5,000. Crew list — Robert C. Grant, master; Hector Mclsaac, Chas. 
Bennett, Charles Hubley, John Frazier, James Grant, Isaiah Horton, John 
McDonald, John Peoples, Dominick Mclsaac, John I. Wilson, John Mc- 
Mullen, Silas McLellan, and a Mr. Jacobs. 

Sch. OCEAN BELLE, 67.02 tons, owned by Sylvanus Smith, sprung 
aleak and sank on Georges, March 26. Crew taken off. Value, $3,192; 
insurance, $2,992. 

Sch. WINIFRED J. KING, 63.61 tons, owned by Capt. John King, 
wrecked in the Winter shore fishery at Brace's Cove, Feb. 3. Crew saved. 
Value, $4,670; insurance, $4,470. 

Boat BEE, 8.13 tons, owned by William Tarr, lost on Eastern Point, 
Nov. 19. Crew saved. Value, $300 ; insurance, $200. 

Boat HARP, 10.88 tons, owned by William N. Mace and William P. Den- 
nis, lost on Green Island, Me., March 27. Crew saved. Uninsured. 

Boat I TELL YE, 14.71 tons, owned by George J. Tarr & Co., run down 
and sunk in Boston Bay, Oct. 27. Value, $2,000; no insurance. 

Lost Overboard. — Emery Hooper washed from foreboom of sch. Seth 
Stockbridge, on Grand Bank, in March ; Frank Williams fell overboard from 
sch. E. L. Rowe, April 17 ; Capt. Daniel Rowe, 2d, knocked overboard in 
Boston Bay from sch. Jennie 6° Julia (by collision), May 12; Edward Day 
washed overboard from sch. Frederic Gerring, Jr., on the Banks, Sept. 9 ; 
Thomas Anderson washed overboard from sch. Epes Tarr, on Grand Bank, 
Nov. 7. 

Capsized in Dories. — Patrick Harrigan and Allen McGinnis from sch. 
Augusta H. Johnson, Jan. 3 ; William Malloy, John Raymond and Jerry 
Simmons from sch. Plymouth Rock, Jan. 7 ; Stephen Johnson and Augustus 
Hendrickson from sch. Isaac A. Chapman, Feb. 11 ; Capt. James Nickerson 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 83 

and James Downing from sch. Bellerophon, in February ; Augustus Ander- 
son from sch. David A. Story, Aug. 10 ; all in the Bank fisheries. 

Died in Dory. — George Nelson from sch. Polar Wave, on Banquereau, 
March 28. 

Lost in Dories in the Fog. — Matthew McDonald and Joseph Merchant 
from sch. David A. Story, on the Banks, in February; John Higgins and 
David McDonald from sch. Marion, on Western Bank, March 28 ; Joseph 
Coffee and Charles E. Seebloom from sch. Epes Tarr, on Western Bank, 
April 18 ; William Geary and John Landry from sch. Schuyler Colfax, on 
the Banks, Aug. 21. 

1881. 

8 vessels and 56 lives were lost this year. The loss of tonnage was 
5 1 1.5 1. Value, $31,000. Insurance, $20,493. Besides these losses, the 
ANSON STIMSON of Rockport, a fine schooner of 224.31 tons burthen, 
belonging to the Pigeon Hill Granite Company, was wrecked on Brigantine: 
Shoal bar, N. J., Jan. 6, on the passage from San Domingo for New York,, 
her master, Capt. Albion Sloman, having died at sea, and the crew of six 
men being clown with chills and fever, leaving only the mate and cook to. 
work the vessel. The Gloucester losses were : 4 in the Bank fisheries, 1 hit 
the shore and 1 in the mackereling fisheries, and 1 engaged in coasting, as-. 
follows : 

Sch. CARRIE S. DAGLE, 74.53 tons, owned by William Parsons, 2d; ; 
& Co., lost on Western Bank, April 15. Value, $4,000; insurance, $3,375.. 
Crew list — Richard Richardson, master; John F. Deveau, C. A. Bergman,. 
Jeffrey Bushey, Thomas Milford, Edward Jedrey, John McDonald, Asahel 
Landro, George W. Kinch, Eli Thibadeau, Hugh York, Coleman Jenning9. 

Sch. GUY CUNNINGHAM, 87.84 tons, owned by Cunningham & 
Thompson, lost on Grand Bank in August or September. Value, $7,000 ; 
insurance, $5,985. Crew list — Daniel O'Brien, master ; John C. Hanson,, 
Frank Shivrie, John Proctor, Niel Walker, Charles Johnson, John Burns,. 
Andrew Nelson, Peter Peterson, Andrew Serresten, Henry Cushing, Loc 
McQuarrie, Chas. Baston. 

Sch. CLARA B. WARREN, 51.67 tons, owned by Mr. William J. Nourse,. 
wrecked near Catch Harbor, N. S., Aug. 8, while returning from a Bank 
trip. Crew saved. Value, $3,000. 

Sch. THRESHER, 80.10 tons, owned by Daniel Allen & Son, engaged 
in the Bank fisheries, stranded and burned at Cape Sable, Sept. 24. Crew 
saved. Value, $6,500; insurance, $5,500. Wreck sold for $36. 

Sch. HIGHFLYER, 53.73 tons, owned by Benjamin Low, wrecked at 
Carver's Harbor, Me., with a cargo of frozen herring on board, Jan. 10. 
Crew saved. Value, $2,500; insurance, $1,500. 



84 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Sch. VANGUARD, 40.47 tons, owned by Edward Contillon, Samuel G. 
Pool and William H. Gardner, engaged in net-codfishing in Ipswich Bay, 
wrecked off Rye Beach, March 19. Crew saved. Value, $1,800; insur- 
ance, $900. 

Sch. LIZZIE K. CLARK, 72.19 tons, owned by Clark & Somes, bound 
South on a mackereling trip, capsized and sunk about twenty miles southeast 
of Barnegat, March 25. Crew saved. Value, $5,000; insurance, $3,323. 

Sch. LADY FRANKLIN, 50.98 tons, owned by Capt. Elias Olson and 
engaged in freighting paving stones, sunk off Stanwood's Point in Anni- 
squam river, July n. Wreck sold for $150. 

Lost Overboard. — John White washed overboard from sch. Willie M. 
Stevens, and John Weston from sch. Martha C, in January ; John Roper 
from mainboom of sch. Lizzie, Feb. 2, and William Riley, washed overboard 
from sch. Ocean King, Feb. 22 ; Capt. Robert Ehler of sch. Carthage, caught 
by foot-rope on mainboom and drawn overboard, off Monhegan, Nov. 27 ; 
all in the Bank fisheries. Capt. Horace Merry from mainboom of sch. 
George P. Rust, off the Isle au Haute, April 1, and Michael Sampson washed 
overboard from sch. Mary E. Daniels, April 26, in the Georges fishery. 
Edward Nickerson fell overboard from sch. Hattie N. Reed, in Portland 
harbor, July 21, in the mackerel fishery. John A. Johnson from sch. Her- 
man Babson, in September, on the return trip from Greenland. William 
Rooney, cook of sch. Addie Emma, fell overboard in the Bay of Fundy, 
Nov. 28. 

Capsized in Dories. — Charles Bell from sch. Bellerophon, on Banque- 
reau, Jan. 28. Elias and Peter Landry, brothers, from sch. Fleur de Lis 
(shore fishing), in attempting to cross Newburyport bar, March 16. Benja- 
min O'Hara and William L. Grant from sch. Mist, March 8 ; Lewis Dulong 
and Charles Richards from sch. Webster Sanborn, June 23 ; John Guthrie 
and Laughlin Kennedy from sch. Zenobia, Aug. 2 ; George M. Sigsworth 
from sch. Victor, Aug. 12 ; John Frost from sch. Plymouth Rock, Nov. 12 ; 
Albert McKennon from sch. Wachusett, in November ; all on Grand Bank. 
Joseph Avenue, in November, and Henry Burke, John Hayes, Archie Mc- 
Donald and Barnard Glenn, Dec. 23, from sch. Smuggler, engaged in the 
shore fisheries. 

Capt. Warren Guptill, of Gloucester, master of sch. Ella of Boston, was 
lost with that vessel on the passage from Boston for Baracoa, in September ; 
William Harrison Card of Newcastle, N. H., engaged for some fifteen years 
in the Gloucester fisheries, was mate of the Ella. Robert Swain was lost 
overboard from sch. Orie?it of Gloucester, on the passage from Baracoa for 
New York, in January. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



85 



TABLE OF LOSSES FOR 52 YEARS. 



Year. 


Vessels. 


Tonnage. 


Value. 


Insurance. 


Lives. 


1830 


3 




$5,600 


$3,100 


7 


1832 


1 




1,000 






1833 


1 




1,000 






1834 


1 




r 1,500 




4 


1836 


1 




\ 1,000 




1 


1837 


5 




10,100 


4,300 


l21 


1838 


4 




7,100 


3,000 


t 4 


1839 


2 




3,800 


3,150 


4 


1840 


2 




3,800 


1,400 


6 


1841 


2 




2,725 


150 


8 


LS42 


3 




2,000 


150 




1843 


3 




6,000 


2,000 


10 


1S44 


3 




4,800 


1,500 


7 


1845 


4 




4,500 


2,350 


8 


1846 


3 




4,900 


3,600 


15 


1847 


3 




6,200 


4,450 


1 


1849 


2 




3,500 


2,200 


10 


1850 


4 




12,500 


10,300 


31 


1851 


9 




25,300 


21,800 


32 


1852 


13 




41,200 


37,100 


40 


1853 


3 




10,000 


8,800 




1854 


4 




14,600 


12,650 


26 


1855 


7 




20,900 


16,100 


21 


1856 


6 




14,400 


11,475 


2 


1857 


5 




11,500 


7,750 


9 


1858 


7 




18,700 


8,537 


42 


1859 


6 




21,900 


16,475 


36 


1860 


7 




26,350 


20,494 


74 


1861 


15 




54,250 


43,900 


44 


1862 


19 




66,500 


53,225 


162 


1863 


10 




40,700 


8,300 


6 


1864 


13 




98,900 


59,625 


84 


1865 


8 


504.93 


40,300 


32,400 


11 


1866 


15 


1,055.00 


114,250 


82,095 


26 


1867 


11 


844.57 


82,675 


59,069 


66 


1868 


4 


282.27 


35,000 


28,150 


39 


1869 


16 


858.81 


83,450 


54,887 


65 


1870 


13 


788.15 


75,200 


59,907 


97 


1S71 


20 


1,035.93 


90,560 


78,253 


140 


1872 


12 


576.68 


55,400 


49,121 


63 


1873 


31 


1,624.55 


118,700 


100,918 


174 


1874 


10 


633.17 


49,100 


44,975 


68 


1875 


16 


1,050.91 


96,000 


81,326 


123 


1876 


27 


1,075.46 


150,000 


116,222 


212 


1877 


8 


722.33 


45,000 


22,000 


39 


1878 


13 


907.57 


64,794 


49.967 


56 


1879 


29 


1,893.36 


111,056 


90,582 


249 


1880 


7 


300.44 


21,000 


15,972 


52 


1881 


8 
419 


511.51 


31,000 


20,493 
$1,355,418 


56 




$1,810,710 


2,249 



86 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 




Welcome Home. 

A ROMANCE IN A FISHERMAN'S LIFE. 

BY M. W. C. 

"You will not be angry, dear Janie, if I leave to-night? There's no way 
out of it for me. I can go with a light enough heart if only you'll tell me 
you do not mind." 

"Nay, I'll not be angry, David, only grieved, deeply grieved. I do mind, 
for you know I had counted on your being here the 3d — " 

The sweet voice faltered here ; the blue eyes that had been so laughter- 
clear and bright, an hour since, grew blurred with bitter tears under the 
long curled hazel lashes. 

"The 3d — Wednesday — is the day we wedded six years ago, David; you 
remember how often we have said we would spend that day together here in 
our own home." 

"Ay, Janet y but you would not have me shirk a trust?" David Colburn's 
clear soul looked through his shining eyes as he spoke these words. One 
could see that his resolve was fixed : there would be no more faltering now 
for him. "The fishing schooner Snow-Bird leaves port to-night ; her own- 
ers do not believe the master, Bradley, to be trusty, and they want a man 
on board who can lend a hand, thwart any evil designs on their property, 
or even take command if need be. That man whom they select in confi- 
dence is I. Now, Janet, shall I go ? You say the word." 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 87 

David Colburn looked his young wife steadily in the face. One could 
see that he had small doubt what that word would be. 

" I say the word ? I have this to say, God love thee and keep thee, dear 
David, wherever thou art. Ay! and He will! He will!" 

She put her faithful arms about his neck ; her truthful eyes looked into his. 

" But now tell me, in plain words, you are not angry ; say just the words 
and I'll go with a lighter heart, Janet." 

Again that strong, sure smile. 

" Not angry ; no ! I never shall be angry with you, David, so long as I 
know you are doing right. And now," she went on, after a moment's pause, 
"now let us go and see Dolly, Dora and Davie." 

An hour later David Colburn had bade good-bye with " God bless thee " 
to his wife and his three darling little ones, and his wife's triumphant "God 
keep thee, my husband," still sounded soothingly in his ears as he walked 
down to the wharf where the waiting schooner Snow-Bird lay. 

And Janet, for all her brave words and her sure faith — for all her stern 
principle — carried a sore heart that night. She went about her duties calm- 
ly, but her step "was slow. David was gone. They had counted on living 
their wedding day over again together, to make that one day's perfect hap- 
piness in their newly built cottage give all its sweets to them over again in 
talk and loving memory — but now David was gone ! 

She was kneeling at dusk on the hearth, toasting bread for the children's 
supper. Suddenly a heavy step sounded from the walk, then came a quick 
knock and the door was flung rudely open. 

"Ho! Janet. Janet Colburn ! Are ye there?" 

With a startled cry the young frightened wife sprang up, letting her toast- 
ing fork and her bread fall back upon the fire. 

"Kenneth Foster!" she exclaimed, falling back a step as the light fell on 
and revealed her visitor's face. 

"Ay, it is I ! .Your memory is good, Janet, just as mine is. And you are 
all alone. I came to see how you look in widow's tears. You'll make a 
fine widow, Janet. There's many a man will be seeking for your hand when 
the year's out. The widow Colburn's hand ! " 

The fair face of the listening woman had grown deadly white during the 
uttering of this man's wild words. She held her children tight to her, gath- 
ering strength from their soft touch as she answered — her voice, too, was 
gentle, if weak — 

" I am alone here with my children, as you see, Mr. Foster. My husband 
left me to-night. I ask you to leave me till he comes back ; you can say 
what you wish to him then." 

"Till he comes back!" Kenneth Foster repeated her words, and then 



88 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

he broke into a loud and brutal laugh. " Do you know when your husband 
will come back to you, Mistress Colburn? It will be when you have finished 
this life and gone into a different world. There will be other seas and other 
skies, other men and other women about you in the world where you will 
meet David Colburn, and you will have to wait long!" 

The young wife smiled serenely through the calm pallor of her face. 

"Wherever he may be it will be well with him, you may be sure of that," 
she said. 

"Even if it be at the bottom of the sea?" retorted Kenneth. "Well, 
well, Mistress Janet, I bide my time. You refused me once, when I asked 
you to be my wife ; be sure I shall not ask you now when you are a widow ! " 

Before she could interrupt him he went on in a wild whirl of raging words. 

"Who was it sent your husband out in that craft? The owners, ay! but 
/moved them to it. It was my work ; and if, some fine morning, the crew 
wake to find themselves sinking, with a wild sea rushing in, and no help 
near, why, that will be my work, too ! " 

Was the man mad that he should say this thing? What was it he meant? 
Was it truth — had he meant to scuttle the vessel — or was it only a threat ? 
Most likely only that ; a threat to frighten her— her, a helpless, lonely woman. 

She pointed to the door. "You have forgotten God!" was her grand 
reply. "My husband is in the hands of One whom even the seas obey. 
God will watch over him. Now go ! " 

He smiled a wicked smile. "I wish you a good evening, Mistress Col- 
burn. Meanwhile, your bread is burning. You had better take it up, for 
you know you can't burn your bread and eat it too." 

He shut the door and went out into the clear night ; too clear and calm 
and sweet for such a man as he to enjoy, walking among its vines and nod- 
ding flowers, looking up into its blue heaven to the far mystery of its stars. 

Meanwhile, she who was left in the little consecrated home, holding the 
darling heads of her children to her breast, watched and waited and prayed 
through lonely hours. "If that man's story were true — but no! it was not 
true — it was a threat, a trumped-up story — prompted by jealous rage." 

" O David ! " she cried, " the very storms are kind to thee ; they pass thee 
by, not harming one so kind and good." 

But she watched the sea, the clouds, the heavens, as she had never done 
before. She waited for news that came not : and then a morning came 
when she awoke to find the rain pouring, the wind tearing, the sea plunging 
and the black sky wracked with stormy clouds. 

"David," she moaned, falling on her knees, "David, where art thou? O, 
my husband, will the sea take thee, leaving me uncomforted?" 

But the sea had no answer for her. The husband on whom she called 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK 89 

was far away. Not drowned ; ah, no ! Not buried under any mountain 

wave, cold food for fishes. He had seen lonely hours — night and day when 

at his work his thoughts were with his dear ones left at home ; in his dreams, 

too, he was ever with them. His comrades chidecl him for his lack of 

sociability ; he had no heart for mirth. His greatest pleasure was in the 

reading of his Bible and in singing the tender songs Janet loved. Those 

songs were always tender, always telling of love and home. For there have 

been some stirring sea-songs written — written by men who were never on 

the sea — but they are not the songs sailors sing. The sea-beaten, homesick 

sailor does not turn to "A Life on the Ocean Wave" for consolation when 

he thinks of the faces he leaves behind the curtain of the home window. 

" The sea, the sea, the open sea! 
I am where I would ever be ; 
****** 
I love, O how I love to ride 
On the fierce, foaming, bursting tide," 

are heartless mockery, an unmeaning gibberish, to the man who has fought 

for very life, with death behind him, in the sleet and hail and crashing ice 

on Georges, or in the polar seas. For him the homely ballad of "Wapping 

Old Stairs" tells a dearer story. Molly, who says she'll be true and 

promises, 

"Your breeches I'll mend, and your grog, too, I'll make," 

is the dearest sweetheart, and her blue eyes shine across the night and storm. 

Meanwhile, Janet watched and prayed. With her children she braved 
the wind and storm, and went to the water-side to be near him. She 
stretched her arms out, and her hot tears fell on the rocks where she stood. 

"O sea!" she sobbed, "Spare him! he loved you always ; he has trusted 
you in your wildest anger, in your darkest moods ; spare him now!" 

Bye-and-bye came rumors, brought by an old fisherman, of a schooner 
drifting at the mercy of the storm — a disabled craft, which the gale pre- 
vented rendering assistance, and when it was over she was not to be seen, 
and it was doubtful if she ever returned to port. 

Bye-and-bye other news came that it was the Snow-Bird — but there were 
good men on board of her, and there was hope that she might yet be heard 
from. 

And Janet heard. O God, pity the tortured hearts of woman at such 
times as these. She went from fisherman to fisherman, as they got into 
port. They turned away, shivering, from her sad eyes. 

"Was there no way to help those drowning men out there? Could noth- 
ing be done? Must they stand idle, watching, while vessel and men went 
down before their eyes ? " 

Poor wife! And there were others, too, other hearts trembling, other 



9 o 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



eyes of women weeping, other lips of wives and daughters calling on dear 
names. 

The night came on with a gale, and the last that Janet saw or heard was 
that the vessel supposed to be the Snow-Bird had been blown off and was 
drifting out of sight. 

" She's doomed ! " an old fisherman said, turning away from the darkening 
view. "She'll go down ! there's no help for it." 

Janet heard ; she looked about her with a sickly, piteous smile, as though 
asking for help for her own misery ; then she fell down in a lifeless heap 
on the wet stones. 

Kindly hands lifted her up and strong arms bore her home. On her bed 
she lay for long hours, her children by her side. She lay in a sort of stupor 
— she saw the blaze of the fire, she heard voices and footsteps coming and 
going, through the night. But her mind was torpid — she only realized one 
fear, that David was lost, and she — 

"He called me a widow," she rambled on feebly. "He said I was a 
widow. What is a widow? Is it a woman whose heart is broken? Then 
I am one! Oh!" 

She put her hand to her brow, and then a merciful sleep came over her, 
and she dreamed a sweet dream — that David had returned. 




She awoke ! The storm had cleared away and the morning sun was steal- 
ing into the bed-room window. Some one said the Snow-Bird had just 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 91 

come to anchor. Her heart gave one happy rebound, and she arose and 
soon dressed herself and the children, and looking out, saw the well-known 
vessel swinging at her anchor off the Point, with her mainsail swaying in 
the light morning breeze. She also saw a well-known form rowing ashore 
in a dory which some kind neighbor had tendered him the use of. 

Grasping the baby in her arms, with the other little one by her side, and 
Davie running on ahead, she hastens down the pathway to the beach to 
meet her husband, for it was he! It seemed to her that he had really come 
back from another world. He cries out, "Janet, my wife! my good wife!" 

And then she knew that it was no dream, for she was in his arms. His 
dear face was pressed close to hers, and she was so happy. 

" David, my husband ! " and he answered, " God is good ; here are wife 
and children. What more can I want?" 

And they walked up to the little cottage — this united family — and David 
explained how the Captain and part of the crew put into an out-of-the-way 
port, and sold most of the trip and nearly all the moveable articles on the 
vessel and pocketed the money and decamped — how he, in pursuance to 
instructions from the owner, then took possession and started home ; how, 
when twenty-four hours out from port, during a fresh breeze, they found her 
leaking badly ;. how the leak increased as the storm grew worse, and it 
seemed as if they must go to the bottom ; how his faithful men pumped and 
strove to stop the leak, and when it seemed as if their efforts were fruitless, 
and they must disappear beneath the seething waters, they found three holes 
which had been bored through the vessel's bottom and had been partially 
filled with a substance which the action of the water had set free ; how these 
holes were stopped and the staunch vessel, being freed from the water, was 
herself again, and they got her safely into port. 

The plot had been revealed to Kenneth Foster, and he was hoping that 
it would be successful, and when he found that it was not, and David Col- 
burn had come back — he left the town and never returned. His cowardly 
heart failed him — he could not look honest David Colburn and his faithful 
wife in the face, after what had transpired. 

And David was well remembered by the owners of the Snow-Bird. They 
reckoned rightly. Without his efforts the vessel would have been lost. 
They therefore gave him a bill of sale of one-third of her, and remembered 
the crew with a handsome sum, and David for many years pursued his call- 
ing in this vessel, making good returns. 

And Janet was one of the happiest little women in all the town. 



02 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 




The Fisher-Boy in the Storm. 

The above spirited picture illustrates a narrative given by an English 
fisherman. At that time he resided in one of the fishing towns on that 
coast, and the lad, fourteen years of age, the only son of his widowed mother, 
got so well used to managing his father's boat, that in the event of not 
being able to get any one to accompany him, he would, in pleasant weather, 
run off on the grounds alone and catch his fare of fish. 

One day he started out with the rest of the boats, and running off farther 
than most of them, succeeded in catching an extra fare. Just as he was 
about getting ready to run in, a terrible storm suddenly came on. The other 
boats being nearer in, ran for the land and escaped the worst of it ; but he, 
poor fellow, having to get underway alone, was exposed to the full fury of 
the storm. Anxious eyes watched his coming, and some of the fishermen 
volunteered to go out after him. The little fellow lost his hat, but not his 
courage. With a fair wind he kept her well before it, minding well his 
helm, as his father had taught him. The lightning's livid flashes and the 
roar of the thunder were not calculated to make his situation very agree- 
able ; but he heeded them not, and carried her bravely in, clearing the bar 
and running her safely up to the landing place. Here' he was met by his 
anxious mother, who clasped her darling to her breast, thanking God for his 
safe return. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 93 



Halibut Fishing Among the Ice Floes, 

BY J. W. COLLINS. 

It is not unusual, after a Winter of exceptional severity, for large masses 
of field ice to drift across the eastern fishing banks, especially Banquere.au 
and the Grand Bank. This was especially the case in the Springs of 1875 
and 1876, when, for several weeks, a large portion of the fishing grounds 
frequented by the halibut fishermen was inaccessible to them. Many singu- 
lar adventures were experienced by the crews of the ice-beleaguered vessels, 
which still form the subject of conversation among the fishermen. The 
inconvenience and peril, which was felt very severely at first by the fisher- 
men, was, however, more than counterbalanced ; for there can be no ques- 
tion but what these floes of drifting ice hastened the discovery of the " Deep 
Water " halibut grounds, which have since that time yielded such a rich har- 
vest. At any rate, the practice of fishing in deep water on the Banks by 
the halibut fleet dates from the time and circumstances which are here 
described, though one or two vessels had made previous trials. 

The writer was in the sch. Howard in the Spring of 1875, and the account 
here given of events connected with the appearance of the immense ice floe, 
and also of icebergs, upon the Grand Bank, is principally taken from a 
letter describing some of the incidents of that occasion. 

We were detained from sailing on our second trip that winter (1874-5) 
by easterly winds for two weeks or more, and when we reached the Grand 
Bank, about the middle of March, the whole of the Bank north of lat. 44 
deg. 25 min. N., was covered with heavy masses of field ice. About the 
time we arrived on the ground the fish left, probably being driven by the 
ice floes which slowly moved southward, reaching at one time as far south 
as lat. 43 deg. 40 min. N., in the middle of the Bank, and causing the fish- 
ermen much anxiety and more or less loss of gear, by unexpectedly drifting 
on their anchored vessels during the night. On one occasion a number of 
vessels tried to skirt the ice and get around it, so as to reach the northwest 
part of the Bank, but towards night of the day on which the attempt was 
made, a northeast gale and heavy snowstorm came on, and we all lay to 
under the lee of the ice, which made the sea quite smooth. The next day 
we found the floe had been driven so far south by the gale that we did not 
again attempt to get by to the northwest of it, but eight vessels having met 
together at the southern edge of the ice, all of the skippers went on board 
of the sch. Augusta H Johnson to talk over the situation. After deliberating 



94 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

awhile, each returned to his own vessel, and while some of us ran to the 
southward, others laid by, waiting for the ice to recede to the northward. 
We ran down to lat. 43 deg. 30 min. N. and long. 50 deg. 30 min. W., but 
could find no fish. We were there some days before the weather permitted 
us to try, and after we hauled our gear we got underway, with a southerly 
wind, and ran for the western edge of the Bank, intending to strike it north 
of lat. 44 deg. N. A careful lookout for ice was kept. That evening we 
spoke the sch. Edwin C. Dolliver at anchor in seventy fathoms, and lay by 
her for the night. The next morning we made sail, spoke the Dolliver again, 
and also the schs. Chester R. Lawrence and Restless. The first two were lying 
at anchor in sixty to seventy fathoms of water, and the Restless lay in forty- 
nine fathoms. Neither of them caught any halibut. 

The ice, driven by the southerly wind, had at this time drifted back to 
about 45 deg. N. lat, and we worked to the westward in company with sev- 
eral other schooners, among which were the Restless, Edwin C. Dolliver^ 
Alfred Walen, N H. Phillips and John S. Presson; all of them setting trawls 
under sail in the day, and anchoring and setting their gear at night. In this 
manner the fleet beat slowly to the westward against a moderate breeze, for 
several days, trying for fish in water varying from forty-eight to seventy 
fathoms in depth, but catching nothing. The water was so intensely cold 
that the frozen baits on the trawls would scarcely thaw when set in fifty 
fathoms of water, or less, and we were almost forced to believe that the fish 
had all been driven entirely off of the Bank by the great ice field, and the 
straggling icebergs. The latter were occasionally seen in the deep water 
off the edge of the Bank. 

One day we passed by a large berg, about a third of a mile distant from 
it. On one end of it a sharp pinnacle, resembling the spire of a church, 
ran up to a height of seventy-five or eighty feet ; the middle was quite low, 
but the other end rose in a bunch or hummock about twenty feet above the 
water. The sunlight, playing on this huge mass of ice, throwing lights and 
shadows here and there, causing the peaks to glitter and gleam for a mo- 
ment, then darken to a greenish tint, and its constantly changing aspect as 
we sailed by it, made it an interesting and impressive sight. But the 
thought that it, or some of its fellows, might drive down on us some foggy 
and windy night, when we were at anchor, caused us to look upon it with a 
sense of dread and apprehension instead of the admiration we might have 
felt in watching such an object under different circumstances.* 

On the last day of March we all set our trawls as usual — some of the ves- 



*A few weeks later it was a common occurrence for the halibut catchers to shift their 
position to avoid coming in collision with icebergs. On some occasions the vessels were 
obliged to move a short distance two or three times in one night. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 95 

sels being at anchor and others under sail — but no fish were caught by any 
of the fleet, and before dark all of the schooners which had been at anchor 
got underway. The wind was north-northeast, blowing a fresh breeze, and, 
knowing the ice was not far off in a northerly direction, no one would have 
cared to remain anchored, even had there been greater inducement to do 
so. We were then on nearly the extreme northwest peak, of the Grand 
Bank, and the question was where to go next, for I do not think it occurred 
to any one then to try in deeper water than we had previously set in. Sch. 
Edwin C. Dolliver went back to the eastward again, but others of the fleet 
hung around, speaking with each other, the skippers evidently uncertain in 
what direction to steer. 

Having spoken the sch. Carrie P. Morton, which came driving along from 
the eastward, just at dark, and learned that no fish had been caught by the 
vessels farther east, I decided to "hold our ground" till morning. We 
accordingly hove to alongside of the Alfred Walen, which was also lying to. 
As day broke on the following morning (All Fools' Day) we saw a schooner 
at anchor and ran down to her in company with the Walen. Finding the 
anchored vessel was the Restless, we hove to, and Captain Thompson and I, 
each of us accompanied by three or four men of our respective crews, went 
aboard of her for a "gam"* with the skipper and crew. She was anchored 
in eighty-three fathoms of water, and her crew were just setting their trawls 
when we ran down to her. The skipper of the Restless said he broke out 
his anchor the evening before and let her drift until the latter part of the 
night, when, finding deep water, he let it go again. We stayed on board of 
the Restless until some of her dories returned from hauling, about 10 A. M., 
when, seeing that they were getting fair fishing on the gear that was in the 
deepest water, we both returned to our own vessels, and set under sail out- 
side of the Restless. 

We were in one hundred and fifteen fathoms, which was then thought to 
be a great depth to fish in, but the Walen went still farther out, in one hun- 
dred and thirty-five fathoms. We caught about 4,000 pounds of halibut on 
a short set, and anchored ; and the Walen, as I afterwards learned, got 
8,000 pounds or more, and also came to anchor. In the meantime schs. John 
S. Presson, William T. Merchant, Lizzie K. Clark of Gloucester, and the 
George Peabody of Salem, made their appearance on the scene of action,! 
and anchored at no great distance to the northwest and southeast of us. 
The Lizzie K. Clark had a fair berth (about two miles) to the north-north- 



*A terra in use among whalemen (and by ex-whaleman on fishing vessels), signifying a 
chat between the masters and crews of different vessels. Sometimes a tete-a-tete between 
chums on the sams vessel is called "gamming." 

fOur position was 44 dag. 45 miu. N. latitude, and 53 dag. 53 min. \V~. longitude. 



9 6 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

west. The afternoon was fine, with a moderate and decreasing northeast 
wind, and current setting to the northwest or north-northwest. Knowing 
full well that the first vessel arriving home with a trip would be likely to 
strike a high market, and of course wishing to be the first, we set twenty 
skates of trawl — the whole string — in the evening, not dreaming .that there 
was any ice in a southerly direction from us. 

The next morning was fine and calm, but cool. We had our breakfast 
before daylight, and just as day was breaking an ice "glin" was noticed in 
the southern board, and when it grew lighter an immense field of ice could 
be seen drifting toward us with the current, which still ran north-northwest. 
Of course, the first thing to be thought of was to get our gear, if possible, or, 
at least, as much of it as we could. We hoisted the dories out and started 
at once. One of the crew had had a fainting fit the evening before, which 
made him quite ill, and I was therefore obliged to go in a dory in his stead. 
Before leaving the vessel I gave the men orders to get all the gear they 
could, and if the ice came on them to cut and go aboard. The trawl that 
we went to haul was off the starboard quarter, four points abaft the beam. 
We pulled for the outer end, and, on reaching it, began to haul as though 
our lives depended on our efforts. 

We succeeded in getting a skate and a half of trawl — about 500 fathoms — 
in the boat, when we saw the flag in the rigging of our schooner, which we 
knew was a signal for us to return to the vessel, as the ice was nearing her 
fast. We instantly cut the trawl, took our oars, and pulled with all our 
might to reach the vessel before the ice did. Another dory which was near 
us started about the same time, and we both met the ice about six hundred 
feet astern of our schooner. When the ice passed the vessel the men on 
board had the presence of mind to throw a buoy, to which a line was fast- 
ened, on one of the leeward cakes of the floe. This buoy we got hold of 
and made it fast to the bow of the head dory, securing the bow of the other 
boat close to the stern of the front one. The current was running at least 
two knots, and the buoy line being under the ice near the buoy, we had a 
hard struggle for some time to make any progress toward the vessel, and to 
get the line on top of the ice. The men on the vessel held a strain on the 
line, while we jumped out of the head dory onto the ice, sometimes hauling 
the boats over the larger cakes, and again shoving the smaller pieces clear 
of the dories and line. The ice was broken into sections of all sizes, from 
a piece of a few pounds weight to one fifty feet in diameter and six to ten 
feet thick. In this manner we worked, tugged and puiled, never resting for 
a moment, until at last we had the line clear and above the ice, when it 
became a comparatively easy matter to reach the vessel. 

After getting on deck we found one of the George Peabody's and one of 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 97 

the William T. Merchant's dories aboard of our vessel, while one of our 
dories, which had held on to the trawl too long, had to seek a refuge on 
board of the Lizzie K. Clark. After our dories were taken in we had a bet- 
ter chance to view the scene, which certainly had a decidedly arctic appear- 
ance. As far as the eye could extend from aloft, in a southern and eastern 
direction, an almost unbroken mass of drifting field ice was all that could 
be seen. Here and there, however, a small streak or pond of water added 
a little diversity to the otherwise monotonous appearance of the frozen 
ocean. 

All of the forenoon and the first hours of the afternoon the ice kept drift- 
ing by us, being carried along with the current. But our anchor held fast, 
though the strain was great on our cable as the heavy masses of ice came 
up against the bows and went grinding, gritting and groaning along the ves- 
sel's side. After a while a moderately sized open space was seen ahead, 
and as it approached us the men belonging to the Peabody and Merchant 
anxiously watched it, being very desirous to reach their respective vessels, 
which were not far off. In this they succeeded. 

A moderate breeze sprang up in the afternoon, and the Lizzie K. Clark, 
getting into one of the clear streaks, got underway and worked up abreast 
of us, when she forced her way through the ice, passing close alongside, 
dropping our dory, which came aboard all right. 

Meanwhile, we had hove short on our cable, and seeing an open place to 
windward, were all ready to break out our anchor as soon as the opening 
came near enough to us. We waited only a short time before we got under- 
way, after which we stood back and forth along the weather edge of the 
ice, watching for the trawl buoys to make their appearance, and as fast as 
they did, sent a dory to haul the trawl. 

This area of clear water was of considerable extent, and, since the current 
did not run so swiftly as before, we had a very good chance to work. How- 
ever, the ice was down on us again before we got all the gear, but the men 
stuck to it, and, as there was a fine sailing breeze, the vessel could force 
her way through the floe quite well. It was nine o'clock in the evening 
when the last dory came aboard — the others had finished hauling their gear 
before dark. The ice was all around this boat during the evening, but we 
kept near to her, though it required close calculation to keep the run of her 
in the darkness. The men in her got the whole of their-gear, and, notwith- 
standing the unfavorable appearance of things in the morning, we lost only 
one skate of trawl. When, at last, all hands were safely on board, and we 
were seated at the supper table, the incidents and anxieties of the day be- 
came the subjects of an animated conversation, and each one had a yarn to 
spin in relation to his experience during the day. 



9 8 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

In the meantime, the crews of the other vessels had not been idle, for, 
taking advantage of any favorable circumstance, they had endeavored, like 
ourselves, to haul their trawls. Three of the Alfred WalerCs crew had a 
narrow escape from what promised much suffering, if not death. They were 
Philip Merchant, William Furley and Thomas Olsen. When the area of 
clear water, that I have before spoken of, came along, they started out to < 
get their trawl, the vessel still remaining at anchor. They were caught in 
the ice, and although they held on to the trawl, which was the only thing 
they could do, the floe carried them adrift, and their chances to reach their 
vessel again were looking slim, when, late in the afternoon, the Lizzie K. 
Clark spoke the Walen, and the skipper of the latter requested Captain 
Murphy (as his — Murphy's — vessel was under sail) to go to their assistance. 
The Clark immediately kept off, but as she had to force her way through 
the ice, it was just growing dark when she reached the drifting boat, and 
past nine o'clock when she got back to the Walen. The dory was nearly 
three miles from the Walen when picked up, and such a timely rescue must 
have been gratefully appreciated by men fatigued, hungry and chilled to the 
marrow. 

After the Clark reached the Walen she made fast to the stern of the lat- 
ter with a long warp for the night, the only instance of one vessel lying fast 
to another on the Grand Bank I ever knew of, and I think the only one on 
record.* 

We kept under sail during the night succeeding the day of which I have 
been writing, and held our position by observing the riding lights of the 
other vessels. The following morning we anchored. We had foggy weather 
after this for the three days we stayed there, which made trawling somewhat 
dangerous ; for, although the main floe had passed by, detached pieces and 
long narrow streaks of ice kept coining along, ,and, oftentimes, when the 
dories were caught to leeward of these, the then had great difficulty in work- 
ing their way through or over them. Frequently the boats had to be hauled 
over the ice for a distance of one or two hundred yards. This trouble was 
increased by the denseness of the fog, which shut out from view all but the 
nearest objects, and the fisherman leaving the side of his vessel felt that 
the thick mist, which hung like a pall over the face of the sea, rendered his 
task more perilous and uncertain than ever before, hiding as it might a vast 
floe of ice which would carry him away with it to drift helplessly until he 
succumbed to cold and hunger. Fortunately, however, no more serious ad- 
venture occurred than that already mentioned, though the men comprising 
the crews of the entire fleet did not hesitate to brave the unknown perils 
incident to the occasion. 



*The ice made the water as smooth as a mill pond. 



FISHERMEN'S O WN BOOK. 



99 



All of the vessels secured good fares of halibut, and some made large 
stocks. The rough experience of some of the fleet in the ice was apparent 
on their return home, when it could be seen that the planking at the water's 
edge was badly chafed and cut, in some cases necessitating repairs. 

A funny incident occurred one evening on board of our vessel, during the 
fog-mull to which allusion has been made, when a man of undoubted pluck 
and hardihood literally got scared at his own shadow. Sometime during 
the day the fog had lifted for a short time, disclosing to our view a number 
of French brigs and barques slowly working their way along the ice towards 
St. Pierre. The fog soon shut down again, and the moonless and starless 
night was as black as pitch. Having obtained a good catch of halibut in 
the afternoon, we were busily engaged in dressing them until quite late in 
the evening. Owing to the darkness a light had to be held for each "scrub- 
gang" so that the "scrubber" could be sure that the fish were properly 
cleaned. I was holding the lantern for one gang, standing inboard and 
close to the scrubber, who, busily employed in his work, stood in a stooping 
position facing aft. Suddenly he straightened up and (possibly with the 
French vessels in mind) cast a quick look out on the port side into the 
dense fog, upon which his shadow, reflected from the light behind him, 
stood out like a huge dark spectre. "Keep off! keep off !" he shouted,, 
with a voice like a Stentor, while the hearty laugh of the rest of the party 
immediately followed his last cry. We knew at once what he had seen, and 
he comprehended the situation, too, as soon as he had a chance to think. 
" What are you hailing your shadow for, Tom ? " some one asked. " Did you 
think it was going to run you down ? " " My God ! " he exclaimed in reply, 
" I thought it was a Frenchman, and it seemed to me that the jibboom was. 
going to be run down my throat." 

LOFC. 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 




LIST OF VESSELS BELONGING TO THE PORT OF GLOUCESTER 

IN 1850. 



COMPILED BY WILLIAM BABSON. 



BAKQUES. 




Name. 


Tons. 


Name. 


Tons. 






Argo 


53 


Dolphin 


63 


Name. 


Tons. 


Atalanta 


74 


D. P. King 


73 


Brenda 


350 


Atlantic 


56 


Eldorado 


60 


Galileo 


260 


Augusta 


42 


Eli 


55 


Izette 


275 


Augusta Parker 


60 


Eiiza A. Procter 


80 


Massasoit 


206 


Avon 


55 


Eliza A. Steele 


77 






Avon 


64 


Ellen 


60 


BRIGS. 




Baltic 


65 


Emeline 


61 






Baltimore 


32 


Enterprise 


54 


Amazon 


202 


Banvard 


62 


Everett 


30 


Agenora 


202 


Belle 


71 


Excelsior 


60 


Boston 


160 


Bellona 


58 


Exchange 


61 


Carter Braxton 


150 


B. H. Corliss 


78 


Exchange 


40 


Eagle 


150 


Bonaventure 


35 


Pair Play 


31 


Grampus 


210 


Bonnv Boat 


15 


Flag of Truce 


43 


Julia Helen 


160 


Brilliant 


52 


Flirt 


80 


Niger 


20!) 


Cape Ann 


64 


Florida 


67 


Pleiades 


285 


Capitol 


58 


Forest 


86 


Sarah Ann 


193 


Centurion 


56 


Franklin 


80 


Victoria 


140 


Cera 


30 


Garland 


130 


Wellingsley 


212 


Champion 


64 


Gazelle 


72 






Charlotte Ann 


68 


Gazelle 


62 


SLOOPS. 




Cherokee 


70 


Gem 


30 






Clarion 


70 


Gen. Washington 


65 


Venus 


73 


Clementine D. Stacy 


75 


George Edward 


42 


Heroine 


55 


Clinton 


56 


Georgianna 


65 






Columbia 


65 


(Trace Darling 


72 


SCHOONERS. 




Congress 


73 


II. A. Holbrook 


66 






Constitution 


68 


Halcyon 


37 


Abigail 


56 


Convoy 


65 


Hannibal 


60 


Abigail Brown 


75 


Convoy 


57 


Helen Maria 


63 


Alabama 


69 


Cottage 


45 


Henry 


80 


Alexander 


80 


Cygnet 


64 


Herald 


45 


America 


27 


Daniel D. Smith 


49 


Hibernia 


50 


Ann Maria 


66 


Diana 


70 


Hosea Ballou 


64 


Areola 


62 


Diligent 


48 


Huntress 


59 



FISHERMEN'S O WN BOOK. 



LIST OF VESSELS—' 



Name. 


Tons: 


Name. 


Imogen 


66 


Nautilus 


Iowa 


76 


Niagara 


James Isaac 


28 


Nile 


Jenny Lind 


75 


Ocean Queen 


John 


100 


Oconee 


Josephine 


56 


Ohio 


J. P. Qber 


79 


Oregon 


July 


54 


Orion 


Larioni 


66 


Orozimbo 


Laurel 


56 


Pennsylvania 


Leader 


58 


Pilot 


Leona 


71 


Pocahontas 


Lion 


24 


Potomac 


Lucinda 


55 


Premium 


Lucy Ann 


67 


President 


Lucy A. Pulcifer 


SO 


Princeton 


Lucy Wharf 


58 


Protector 


Marion 


33 


Ranger 


Mary Eliza 


70 


Reaper 


Mary Eliza 


53 


Redwing 


Mary S. Wonson 


84 


Reliance 


M^tamora 


57 


Richmond 


Miriam 


53 


Rio del Norte 


Molly 


73 


Ripple 


Montrose 


62 


Robert Bruce 


Montezuma 


76 


Rockaway 


Mount Vernon 


68 


Romeo 


Napoleon 


52 


Romp 


Native 


70 


Sarah 



Continued, 


Tons. 


Name. 


59 


Sarah Elwell 


66 


Science 


55 


Signal 


64 


Sisters 


73 


Splendid 


67 


Star of Hope 


68 


St. Lawrence 


66 


Success 


62 


Swainpscott 


68 


Swan 


67 


Talisman 


71 


Theory 


70 


Thorn 


59 


Three Sisters 


49 


Tiber 


60 


Traverse 


62 


Tremont 


43 


Trenton 


50 


Union 


24 


Van 


75 


Victory 


67 


Virgin 


60 


Watchman 


35 


Wave 


71 


Wave 


61 


Welcome Return 


60 


Wm. P. Dolliver 


76 


fm. Penn 


67 


Yorktown 



Tons. 
57 
62 
37 
44 
48 
88 
63 
45 
38 
45 
68 
37 
65 
45 
65 
62 
64 
71 
68 
30 
66 
62 
60 
80 
77 
29 
80 
66 
50 



4 barques, 1101 tons, average 275 tons; 12 brigs, 2273 tons, average 189*2 ; 2 sloops, 128 
tons; 166 schooners, 10,029 tons, average 60 is tons. Total vessels, 184; tonnage, 13,531 ; 
average tonnage, 73 )i. 

Of these 184 vessels owned in Gloucester 32 years ago, although several 
are doubtless still in existence, only one, the Lucy Ann, is still owned here. 
The Lucy Ann is 46.54 tons, new measurement, was built in Essex in 1849, 
and is owned by Mr. Samuel Haskell. 

Very many of the readers of this volume will peruse the above list with 
pleasure, as the recalling of the names of these vessels will awaken many 
pleasing reminiscences when some of them were the "crack" vessels of their 
day, and the trips they made and the associations connected therewith, will 
recall the past with all its wealth of associations connected with the fisheries 
of that period. 




102 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



THE PHANTOM BOAT. 
A Legend, of Cape Ann, 

BY E. NORMAN GUNNISON. 



The tide comes in and the tide goes out, 
And the rollers break on the harbor bar, 

And up from the distance comes a sail, 
Gleaming white 'neath the morning star. 

Fishing tackle and boats on deck, 
Running rigging belayed and trim ; 

Raking spars — 'tis no battered wreck 
Sailing out in the distance dim. 

It draws not near, though the wind is fair ; 

The sheets are free, but it comes not nigh, 
Rut hangs, a point on the morning air, 

A pictured sail 'twixt the earth and sky. 

Fisherman, tell me why yonder boat 
Sails, and no nearer comes to shore; 

Nor in the distance grows remote — 
Not a ripple her bow breaks o'er. 

" Stranger, I reckon you aren't here long, 
Many a year has her pennant flew — 

Old is the story — a worn out song — 
Rut her deck is trod by no mortal crew. 

Look a moment and see the flame 
Gleaming white over mast and spar — 

Here ! take my glass, you can read the name 
Under her starn— 'tis the < Alice Marr.' 

Alice Marr was a fair young girl, 

Long ago, in Glos'ter town ; 
Rippling ringlets and sunny curl, 

Rare red lips and a cheek of brown. 

That was Alice, the fisher's pride ; 

Lovers sought her, from near and far ; 
She was John Ackman's promised bride — 

He named his vessel the ' Alice Marr.' 

Thar's nothing sartin, stranger, in life ; 

We're gone to-morrow, though here to-day. 
Another v'yage she would be his wife — 

At least, so I've heard the gossips say. 

Pork, potatoes and hard-tack stowed, 
Water in barrels and water in tanks, 



Nicely fixed for a three months' cruise, 
He sailed away for the fishing banks. 

' For men must work and women must weep/ 
Men must work for their daily bread ; 

One month out — all well on board, 
Spoke by the ' Dart' of Marblehead. 

Mouths rolled on, and never a word; 

Six months, twelve months— on the day 
That finished the year was a rumor heard 

Of the -Alice Marr' in the outer bay. 

Roats put out, but they drew not near; 

Slowly, silently on she steered; 
' Skipper Ackman ! ho ! what cheer?' 

She had vanished and disappeared. 

Ever as rolls the year around, 

Rringing again her sailing day, 
Rises her hull from the depths profound, 

And slowly cruises the outer bay. 

Not a word of her master's fate, 
Only a glimmer of sail and spar ; 

Not a w T ord of her crew or mate — 
This is the ghost of the 'Alice Marr.' 

Still she watched down the peaceful bay, 
Still her eye scanned each gathering cloud, 

Years receded, and worn and gray, 
Her wedding dress was her f un'r'l shroud." 

This is no myth of the poet's pen, 
This is no mirage upon the blast, 

The boat is there, just the same as when 
Mine own eyes saw in the Summer past. 

Only the eye of faith can see, — 
Eyes are blinded — and this in brief — 

What is holden from you or me, 
Is seen by others who have belief. 

Still in the morning, cold and gray, 

Gazing afar the sea to scan, 
Looking out from the sheltered bay, 

See the phantom which haunts Cape Ann 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



103 




MODEL OF TRAWLER OF 1882. 

A Trawling Trip, 

BY WALTER HILL. 

Gear Used — Porpoises — Frolic at Canso — On the Fishing Grounds — Setting 
and Hauling the Trawls, and What We Find in Them — Changing Berth 
— An Uncommon Incident — Putting I?i for Bait. 

Let us imagine ourselves on board a trawler, well outside, and shaping a 
course E ^ S for Cape Sable, a distance of two hundred and fifteen miles. 

The lines which compose a trawl are made of cotton, and are in lengths 
of fifty fathoms, about the size of a lead pencil, and tarred to render them 
more durable. They are attached at equal distances to a buoy line, and are 
coiled in tubs or flour barrels cut down, and extend to about three hundred 
fathoms for each tub. Each dory will "set" about four to six tubs, so that 
it forms a pretty long string when extended in one direction. For halibut 
catching the hooks are attached at a distance of two and a half fathoms 
apart throughout the whole length of the trawl, but for codfishing the hooks 
are placed a fathom apart. The fishing is done in dories, and two men go 
in each dcyy. Our vessel's crew consists of fourteen all told — twelve men, 
cook, and "skipper" or captain. Much gear is necessary besides the trawl 
itself, viz., buoys, buoy-lines, anchors, flags, etc. But you will get a better 
idea of all this when we come to " make a set," by accompanying one of the 
dories yourself. 



io 4 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Meanwhile, take a look at the hold. It is divided off into pens or com- 
partments, in which is stowed the salt necessary to cure the fish. In a fresh 
halibut catcher these pens would be stowed with ice instead of salt. 

Now just step on deck again. Here is something that will interest you. 
Do you see that splashing far away on the horizon ? That is a school of 
porpoises, and they are coming this way. I'll take the harpoon and go out 
on the bowsprit, and should they cross our bows, try my luck. I'm not very 
expert with this weapon, but it may serve to kill time agreeably, if not a 
porpoise. Here they come, launching themselves along with dazzling ra- 
pidity. One might call them the very incarnation of vitality and action. 
I sometimes think, when I see them evidently enjoying life so intensely — 
launching themselves through the air by those magnificent twenty and thirty 
feet bounds — chasing and racing one another with lightning action — that it 
is their way of expressing their gratitude for being permitted to inhabit such 
a beautiful world of waters, and for being so admirably adapted to enjoy it. 
Whang! I missed that one! Quick! haul in the slack line and give me 
out the harpoon again. We are in the midst of the school now. Whiz ! 
again. I've struck one this time. Pay out the slack line and heave the 
helm down ! Don't check him till the vessel's way is stopped, or he will 
snap the line. Now you may try him. There he comes alongside, disput- 
ing every inch and making some wicked plunges. We will get a running 
bowline over his tail and haul him aboard. There he comes in. How he 
lashes the deck, every nerve quivering with rage and excitement. 

The breeze has freshened. We have left Cape Sable behind and are 
booming along the Nova Scotia shore at a good rate. We shall soon be in 
Canso, where we shall probably take what bait we require. The bait this 
time will consist of herring. These are taken by the resident fishermen, in 
nets, and brought alongside the vessel and sold at so much per hundred or 
barrel. It is more exciting work when we catch our own bait, especially if 
that bait happens to be squid. 

I shall not say much of the inevitable "frolic" we get upon the night 
before leaving for the Banks. What pretty girls we — get introduced to. 
And here, lest the better-halves of the married portion of my compagnons 
de voyage should become jealous, let me say that / saw no improper flirta- 
tions going on on their part. Not one of the benedicts under my eye danced 
more than twice with the same young lady. An old familiar, just dropped 
in, suggests I might possibly myself have been too much engrossed to ob- 
serve all that was passing around me. It is a base insinuation, and were 
he not a privileged character I should freezingly point him to the door. 

Leaving all these open questions behind, let us consider ourselves on the 
fishing grounds. Having decided on making a set, we round to and anchor 
in about forty fathoms of water. The hooks being baited up and all ready, 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 105 

the dories are rigged out and the tubs of trawl, buoys, buoy-!ines, anchors, 
etc., are put into them. As each dory gets ready she is rowed out in her 
regular place, which has been drawn for by lot, and the work of setting the 
trawls commences. Each takes a different direction from the vessel. Thus 
the vessel forms the centre and the trawls form radii of a circle, being set 
with a buoy and anchor at each end. A good flag is placed on the buoy at 
the outer end, which extends about a mile and a half from the vessel, and 
the dories, then row aboard, and the trawls are left out till the following 
morning. 

At daylight all hands are called out to breakfast, immediately after which 
the dories are hoisted out, and row to the ends of their trawls, being guided 
by the flags when it is clear ; but when it is thick and foggy, which most 
frequently happens, finding the outer buoy is a matter of much difficulty, 
and the dories frequently lose themselves. However, being clear, it is all 
plane sailing to-day. There is some rivalry between the dories, as to which 
one shall bring most the fish or get done first ; but as the reader is to ac- 
company us, we will proceed leisurely so as to examine all the curios that 
come up. 

We've taken hold of the buoy, then, and having shipped the roller in the 
bows, commence hauling away. At last the anchor heaves in sight, after 
what you think a long haul, and here on the first hook is a good codfish, 
but I don't see much more coming along. There, again, is a haddock. 
Take notice of those teeth-marks about him. A halibut has been endeavor- 
ing to swallow him. See what a scared look he has! When hauling trawls 
I sometimes liken the expression of different fish to their counterparts on 
terra-firma. Thus, the haddock bears a strong resemblance to the sheep or 
lamb. Their large innocent eyes seem to look up appealingly as they come 
up alongside the dory. They accept their fate, too, with sheepish resigna- 
tion, and scarcely ever stir after being slatted off the hook into the dory. 
They are the prey of almost every other fish that swims, and altogether, 
must have a very hot time of it, indeed, down there. 

What have we coming here ? A rock which is perfectly honey-combed — 
"Perforated sore and drilled with holes." 
This work is accomplished by a species of boring bivalve, whose generic 
name I am unable to give, but if you could descend and take a submarine 
stroll, you would scarcely find a rock but was in the same state wherever 
these curious fellows are found. Curled into some of these holes, and clus- 
tered around the rock, in fantastic shapes, you observe numerous sandy 
tubes. These are inhabited by curious worms, known to the naturalist as 
annelids. They are widely distributed all over the fishing banks, wherever 
the bottom can be made available for building their cells. There are vari- 



106 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

ous species. One kind does not build a cell at all, and is known as the 
naked annelid. 

But stop ! I feel a halibut tugging away below. There he heaves in sight. 
Keep steady in the dory while I get my gaff in his head, and do not be 
alarmed when I heel the crank little craft over to take the big fellow in. 
After I get his head on the gunwale he slides into the bottom of the boat 
as easily as if he were helping himself in. 

I can see two or three codfish coming along next. One of them is a large 
one. Look how lazily that fifty-pounder rolls up alongside. He seems to 
accept the situation as if he had been expecting it. If he could speak he 
might give mouth (what a mouth!) to the following: "Here I come. Whip 
out your gaff and help me aboard without any fuss. I've been looking for 
this a long time past. I put all my affairs in order when I reached forty 
pounds weight, and have been ready to fulfil my destiny at any time since." 
How differently does that "snapper," or young codfish, appear to act. He 
darts about, as far as the hook will allow, and seems to have vitality enough 
for a dozen years to come. After he is unhooked he flutters about and 
won't be resigned in any place, but seems to protest to the last against the 
fate which cuts him off in the pride of his youth. And who can believe but 
his view is the soundest, if it were practicable to let him alone? 

But what have we here ? As I live, it's a turbot. You will make a deli- 
cious meal from this fellow, I'll warrant. We do not save them for market, 
there being apparently little demand for them in the States. If I were a 
gourmand, and had the means wherewith to gratify my appetite, I would 
offer his weight in silver for one of these paragons of all that is delicate and 
rich among fish flavors. 

Passing over numerous codfish, and an occasional halibut, we haul along 
till we come to a comparative stranger on the Grand Bank — would that he 
had been a stranger on Georges and some other Banks I've fished on — a 
dogfish. If you would cultivate angelic patience, or haply sound the depth 
of wickedness to which it would be possible to goad you, go out on Western 
Georges in Dog(fish) days and haul a trawl of one thousand hooks with a 
dogfish on every hook. Whichever course you adopt, if you succeed in 
fighting it out on that line to the end, will have brought you to the extreme 
limits of goodness, or to the border of Hades. Their skin is so rough that 
before you have unhooked fifty the probability is that your thumb and finger 
will be getting raw, to say nothing of the dexterity with which the green- 
eyed wretch comes back after having his jaw hauled half out with the hook, 
and swims around as if to intimate that you have been exhausting your pa- 
tience or your passion on him without disturbing his equilibrium in the 
least. 

The trawl is coming up from a ledge now, as you may see by the pretty 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK 107 

diminutive sprays of coral attached to some of the hooks. You will observe 
four or five varieties, but I have never yet been fortunate enough to haul up 
any of the kind valuable in commerce. 

Here's a queer looking object coming — a fish skeleton. It is a codfish 
with nothing but the skin and bones left. He has been eaten since he got 
on that hook, as clean as a whistle, not a grain of flesh left if you'd give a 
guinea for it. Little insects that we call sand-fleas have accomplished this. 
There must be myriads of them, because in a couple of hours they will 
reduce a large codfish to the state in which we find this one, or, speaking 
mathematically, to his simplest terms. The fish, poor fellow, must feel very 
much like Gulliver when attacked by the Lilliputian army. They're too 
many for him. 

Thus we go on to the end of the trawl, where we "break out" the anchor 
and haul it up, together with the buoy-line and buoy, rowing to the vessel 
and pitching our fish on deck. These we "dress down," and as the aggre- 
gate catch is not large, we heave up the anchor and shift a few miles away 
where we "bring to" again, bait up the trawls, and then are done for the 
night, "till daylight doth appear." This time we get better fishing, and all 
the dories get a load. 

Sometimes an uncommon incident takes place. Such an one happened to 
the writer a short time since. We were in our dory, hauling away in the 
most unsuspecting manner, when a whale, without the slightest previous 
notice, came right up under the dory, gave a snort which startled us as 
though it had been an earthquake, and in a moment we were sliding off the 
back of the monster, half capsized. Luckily we both managed to grab the 
upper gunwale, and saved her from going wholly over, coming off with no 
worse damage than being swamped with water and losing half our fish. 

On foggy days a horn is blown at frequent intervals during the time the 
dories are hauling trawls, to enable them to judge of the whereabouts of the 
vessel. But withal, dories frequently lose themselves and row about for 
many hours without finding their vessels, and in such cases they are often 
picked up by passing vessels, after enduring great privations. Many a 
thrilling story might be told of narrow escapes from perils such as these, by 
our fishermen who follow up Bank fishing continuously. 

When the bait gets exhausted, or becomes too stale for the fish to relish 
it, we proceed to Newfoundland to procure another supply. On such occa- 
sions we sometimes have many leisure days, and to beguile time we arrange 
a dance on shore, which is kept up from dark till daylight. 



io8 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



MASSACHUSETTS MACKEREL CATCH FOR 74 YEARS. 





Massachu- 








Mass. 


Gloucester 


Kockport 




setts. 


Gloucester. 












YEAR. 








YEAR. 


Inspection. 


Inspection. 


Inspection. 




BBLS. 


BBLS. 






BBLS. 


BBLS. 


BBLS. 


1808 


7,738 


238 




1845 


202,302 


48,711 




1809 


8,865 


46 




1846 


188,261 


41,513 




1810 


13,058 


none 




1847 


254,917 


40,006 




1811 


17,890 


6 




1848 


317,101 


53,500 




1812 


6,750 


none 




1849 


231,856 


45,579 




1813 


3,832 


91 




1850 


242,572 


49,993 


3,916 


1814 


1,349 


none 




1851 


329.441 


81,627 


9.240 


1815 


16,394 


7? 




1852 


217,540 


48,012 


5,345 


1816 


30,021 


123 




1853 


130,423 


36,196 


4,523 


1817 


37.4S2 


115 




1854 


134,848 


43,201 


3,278 


1818 


47,210 


154 




1855 


130,850 


73,102 


5,740 


1819 


105,433 


109 




1856 


214,017 


66,529 


6,513 


1820 


120,602 


217 




1857 


192,378 


67,311 


5,677 


1821 


111.009 


2,176 




1858 


131,601 


56,489 


4,152 


1822 


150,294 


2,804 




1859 


99,845 


59,664 


3,004 


1823 


145,006 


3,570 




1860 


244,703 


97,992 


5,561 


1824 


180,636 


6,303 




1S61 


194,281 


90,516 


4,989 


1825 


254,381 


9,359 




1862 


260,863 


116,238 


6,100 


1826 


158,740 


11,668 




1863 


306,941 


153,892 


5,671 


1827 


190,310 


16,288 




1864 


273,355 


154,938 


4,970 


1828 


237,324 


34,203 




1865 


252,775 


141,576 


5,746 


1829 


225,877 


37,683 




1866 


231,390 


114,053 


7,562 


1830 


308,4*5 


51,613 




1867 


210,712 


113,917 


6,479 


1831 


383,658 


69,759 




1868 


179,492 


75,517 


5,260 


1832 


222,452 


40,674 




1869 


234,199 


93,126 


5,962 


1833 


222,926 


45,529 




1870 


318,520 


129,595 


9,800 


1834 


252,884 


61,319 




1871 


259,414 


107,008 


6,940 


1835 


197,411 


48,539 




1872 


181,956 


67,395 


3,679 


1836 


177,056 


43,937 




1873 


185,736 


83,459 


3,084 


1837 


144,891 


33,274 




1874 


258,359 


118,314 


4.124 


1838 


110,740 


24,262 




1875 


130,017 


51,040 


1,742 


1839 


74,243 


10,241 




1876 


225,946 


95,422 


5,610 


1840 


50,490 


8,870 




1877 


105,097 


49,044 


1,478 


1841 


55,137 


8,559 




1878 


144,226 


55,741 


975 


1842 


75.543 


15,335 




1879 


155,298 


48,643 


172 


1843 


64,451 


16,328 




1880 


252,538 


116,793 


959 


1844 


86,181 


17,455 




1881 


256,173 


113,203 


291 



Owing to the practice of selling mackerel " out of pickle," to be packed and branded else- 
where, the Gloucester " inspection" for the past few years shows only a portion of the 
catch of our fleet. The catch of the Gloucester fleet in 1881 was 163,851 bbls., the amount 
inspected only 113,203 bbls. 1880 catch, 129,680 bbls. 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 109 



The Fortune Bay Riot. 

The treaty of Washington opened the way to a satisfactory settlement of 
the Alabama Claims, so far as this country was concerned, Great Britain 
being called upon to pay over a handsome sum for the depredations of her 
cruisers upon American commerce during the War of the Rebellion. But 
the Treaty contained provisions concerning the Fisheries which have not 
resulted as satisfactorily, either to our own government or to the dependen- 
cies of Great Britain. Under these provisions the American market was 
thrown open to the products of provincial fishermen, free of duty, thus 
bringing their catch into active competition with ours, while American fish- 
ermen were permitted to fish in provincial waters, on equal terms with Brit- 
ish subjects, as they claim to their great detriment and loss. The Fishery 
provisons of the Treaty also contained a clause providing for a Commission, 
to sit at Halifax, and determine how much, if anything, the United States 
should pay for the valuable privileges vouchsafed her fishermen, over and 
above the value of the freedom of her markets to provincial-caught fish. 
The Commission met and heard evidence on both sides, and decided that 
the United States should pay the sum of $5,500,000, an amount, as the 
Americans claim and believe, larger than the total value of all the fish taken 
or to be taken by American fishermen within provincial waters during the 
twelve years that the Treaty is likely to remain in force. The money was, 
however, paid without controversy. 

The fishermen of Newfoundland were especially restive under what they 
regarded as the ceding away of their rights by the imperial government. 
They looked upon the shore herring fishery of their island as peculiarly 
their own property. It was their principal source of revenue, on which 
themselves and their families were dependent for bread, and if this fishery 
was taken away from them, or its value destroyed, starvation would stare 
them in the face. Accordingly, when a large American fleet appeared upon 
their coast, in the Winter of 1877-8, with improved apparatus for the catch- 
ing of herring, instead of purchasing a supply of the native fishermen, as 
had previously been the practice, they were greatly incensed, and resolved 
to defend what they felt to be their rights. 

The Gloucester fleet arrived in Fortune Bay about the middle of Decem- 
ber, and waited until the first week in January for the herring to strike in. 
They were provided with seines, and prepared to catch or buy fish, as cir- 
cumstances might warrant. The fleet comprised twenty-two first-class ves- 
sels, as follows : 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



Tons. 

137.06 

100.77 

108.87 

7*-3 8 

98.80 

77.10 

85-37 

77-65 

90.11 

92.18 

83.41 

94.09 

101.62 

85.23 

107.90 

88.85 

90.87 

in. 00 

86.29 

91.29 

108.90 

9 8 -37 



Owner or Ch irterer. 

Humphrey C. Allen. 
Walen & Allen. 
Peter Smith. 
William B. Coombs. 
Dennis & Ayer. 
Plumer and Friend. 
Brown, Seavey & Co. 
Rowe & Jordan. 
James Mansfield & Sons. 
Walen & Allen. 
John F. Wonson & Co. 
John F. Wonson & Co. 
Brown, Seavey & Co. 
Gardner and Poole. 
George Dennis & Co. 
Hardy & Allen. 
Samuel Lane & Bro. 
John Low. 
John Pew & Son. 
John Pew & Son. 
Andrew Leighton. 
Wm. Parsons, 2d, & Co. 



Schooner. 

Bonanza, 
Bunker Hill, 
Charles C. Warren, 
Crest of the Wave, 
Edward E. Webster, 
F. A. Smith, 
Fred. P. Frye, 
Herbert M. Rogers, 
He re ward, 
Isaac Rich, 
John W. Bray, ' 
Lizzie & Namari, 
Mary M., 
Maud & Effie, 
Maud B. Wetherell, 
Moro Castle, 
Moses Adams, 
Moses Knowlton, 
New England, 
Ontario, 
Wildfire, 
William E. McDonald, 

The herring struck into Fortune Bay on Sunday, Jan. 6, 1878, in such 
quantities that a few hours' seining would have sufficed to load the entire 
fleet. The schs. New England, Capt. Peter McAuley, and Ontario, Capt. 
John Dago, joined and set their seines, making a double seine about 2,400 
feet long and 150 feet deep, which soon filled with herring, the catch being 
estimated at fully 2,000 barrels. This, with the operations of the other 
Gloucester schooners, maddened the Newfoundland fishermen, who had 
gathered in the vicinity to the number of two hundred or more, and they 
commenced to put off in boats, making warlike demonstrations and using 
threatening language, and commanding the American fishermen to desist 
from fishing. The seines of the Ontario and New England were seized by 
the mob, the fish let out, and the seines torn in pieces and carried away. 

The rioters next turned their attention to the sch. Moses Adams, Capt. 
Solomon Jacobs, whose seine had been set and filled, and whose crew were 
busily engaged in scooping the herring into boats and transferring them to 
their vessel. Three separate attempts were made to seize this seine, but 
Capt. Jacobs and his crew were provided with loaded revolvers, and by 
threatening to shoot the first man who dared to interfere with them, suc- 
ceeded in keeping the mob at bay until a partial cargo had been secured, 
when the Newfoundlanders tripped the seine and allowed the remainder of 
the herring to escape. Had they been allowed to continue fishing, they 
could have loaded their vessel and helped in supplying others. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. in 

In the evening the rioters had a jubilee, blowing hoi - ns, firing guns and 
shouting, as if celebrating a victory. This was taken as an indication that 
the same course would be pursued if further attempts were made to fish, and 
the other vessels were deterred from making the attempt. Next day the 
herring struck off shore, and finding it difficult to purchase cargoes, the fleet 
soon set sail for home, mostly in ballast, although a portion of the fleet se- 
cured partial cargoes, mostly by purchase. 

The following year (1879), in July, a similar occurrence on a smaller scale 
took place in Aspey Bay, Cape Breton. The schs. Bay State, Capt. Good- 
win, and Cadet, Capt. Anderson, arrived at Aspey Bay June^zo, to await the 
schooling of the squid, when they proposed to engage in seining operations. 
They were told by the inhabitants that they would not be allowed to set 
their seines, but continued to await the appearance of the fish, hoping that 
they would not be interfered with. The squid struck in July 8th, but the 
threats of the local fishermen were so serious and determined that the 
Americans were obliged to refrain from fishing and come home without fares. 

Aug. 16, 1879, sch. Howard Holbrook, Capt. Daniel McFayden, of this 
port, while absent on a Bank trip, put into Trinity Bay, N. F., for the pur- 
pose of seining bait. Capt. McFayden was opposed by some thirty New- 
foundlanders, who threatened to destroy his seine and dories if he attempted 
to fish, the spokesman of the party, one Cooper, declaring that no one 
should set a seine for squid within three miles of the shore and live to haul it. 

On the 4th of August, 1880, as the sch. Moro Castle, Capt. Loren B. Nass, 
of this port, was lying in Conception Bay for the purpose of purchasing 
squid to complete a Bank voyage, some of the crew threw over jigs and com- 
menced to catch a few squid over the side of the vessel during the absence 
of the skipper. They were seen from the shore, and an angry crowd of na- 
tive fishermen put off, seized the schooner, raised her anchor, hoisted the 
mainsail and jib, and came near getting her ashore upon the rocks. Seeing 
the danger she was in, the mob took their departure, leaving the vessel 
in the hands of the crew. The sch. Victor, Capt. Joseph Bowie, was also 
compelled by superior numbers to relinquish fishing for squid, at the same 
time, under threats of having the cable cut, allowing the schooner to drift 
on the rocks. Efforts were also made, on two occasions in August, to pre- 
vent sch. Martha C, Capt. Charles Martin, from taking squid, but Capt. 
Martin put a bold face on the matter, returning threat for threat, and took 
what squid he wanted without molestation. 

Sch. Minnesota, of Provincetown, was also prevented from taking bait in 
the Summer of 1880. At this time negotiations were in progress to secure 
indemnity for the outrages upon American fishermen, with a prospect of 
Newfoundland having to pay the bills, and the local authorities felt that it 
was time something was done to show that such lawlessness was not sane- 



ii2 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

tioned by those in authority. Accordingly, five young lads were arrested for 
throwing stones at the crew of the Minnesota while they were engaged in taking 
bait, and four of them were convicted and fined. 

Early in 1878 efforts were made to secure compensation for the losses of 
American fishermen in consequence of the unlawful acts of British subjects. 
One excuse after another was offered in justification of the course pursued 
by the riotous fishermen, but none of them could stand against the plain 
language of the Treaty, as interpreted by the evidence introduced before 
the Halifax Commission, which gave our fishermen an undoubted right to 
fish as they pleajed in the provincial waters. The negotiations were pro- 
longed until the Summer of 188 1, when the United States received from 
Great Britain the sum of ,£15,000, which was accepted in full for all claims 
to date on the part of American citizens against the government of Great 
Britain. On the 10th of July a portion of this sum was disbursed among 
the Fortune Bay fleet of 1878, leaving the losses at Aspey and Conception 
Bays for future consideration. The Fortune Bay fleet put in claims to cover 
the actual expenses of the voyages, including charter money, outfits, port 
charges, seamen's wages, etc., and the probable profits of the trips, had 
they been allowed to secure cargoes, based upon the profits of preceding 
years. The latter item was disallowed, and payment was made on the basis 
of the actual expenses, less value of cargo secured, with seventeen and one- 
half per cent, interest, or at the rate of five per cent, per annum. 

The following is a list of the claims presented, with the amounts actually 
disbursed in settlement thereof : 



Schooner. 


Actual Ecpenses. 


Value of Cargo. 


Claim. 


Payment. 


Bonanza, 


$2,855.94 


$975.00 


$3,022.17 


$2,210.10 


Bunker Hill, 


3,179.50 


1,962.00 


2,677.00 


1,430.56 


Charles C. Warren, 


4,610.00 


2,430.00 


4,680.00 


2,561.50 


Crest of the Wave, 


2,619.04 




4,619.04 


3,077.37 


Edward E. Webster, 


1,754.50 




4,654.50 


'2,061.44 


F. A. Smith, 


2,495.50 




4,895.50 


2,!K!2.21 


Fred. P. Frye, 


2,150.00 


450.00 


3,700.00 


1,997.50 


Herbert M. Rogers, 


3,066.18 


1,120.00 


5,876.30 


2,186.70 


Hereward, 


4,300.00 


562.00 


5,748.00 


4,392.15 


Isaac Rich, 


2,986.09 


1,S36.00 


2,491.09 


1,351.36 


John W. Bray, 


2,714.52 


1,525.45 


3.589.07 


1,397.16 


Lizzie it Xamari, 


3,133.65 


569.25 


5,564.40 


3,013.17 


Mary M., 


2,180.53 


200.00 


5,480.53 


3,327.12 


Maud & Erne, 


3,333.13 


954.00 


4,379.13 


2,795.48 


Maud B. Wetherell, 


3,797.84 


2,067.50 


2,530.34 


2,033.15 


Moro Castle, 


2,153.1S 




4,134.19 


2,529.99 


Muses Adams, 


2,607.30 


1,021.25 


8,586.05 


1.863.60 


Moses Knowlton, 


2,661.60 


305.00 


5,356.60 


2,769.00 


New England, 






3,350.00 


2,722.18 


Ontario, 






3,350.00 


2,995.74 


Wildfire, 


1,530.97 




6,309.s2 


1,798.89 


William E. McDonald, 


2,153.95 




4,953.95 


2,530.89 



FISHERMRVS OWN BOOK. 



IJ 3 




Importance of Fish Culture, 

Day after day this wonderful enterprise is meeting with greater and great- 
er encouragement. The fact of reproducing fish artificially is based upon 
the practical experiences of a Frenchman nearly a century ago, and although 
its success proved largely beyond his expectations, the world remained, as 
many people do to-day, skeptical as to the feasibility of the experiments 
As in all other important events discovered by accident, science was essen. 
tial to the thorough illustration in the matter of fish culture. The advances 
made within the last half century are simply bewildering. The brook trout 
was first propagated by artificial means ; now even salt-water fishes, includ- 
ing lobsters and oysters, are destined to yield to the manipulation of man, 
and have their number increased beyond the limits of calculation. 

Necessity, the admitted mother of invention, should have prompted the 
European scientists to make the greatest efforts, yet the facts are, it is to 
those of our young republic to whom the honors have been awarded for the 
great work, though surrounded by an abundance. Under the. skilful direc- 
tion of Prof. S. F. Baird, the world renowned Seth Green, and others, the 
propagation of fish and inventions pertaining thereto, have won for these 
gentlemen notoriety unequalled by any pisciculturists of the world. Hatch- 
eries, transporting implements, acclimatizing of fish, fishways, and the like, 
have been perfected in the United States to such a degree that the European 
Fish Congress held a year ago in Germany awarded their most valuable 
prizes to gentlemen of our country. The State Fish Commissioners have 



ii 4 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

seconded their national official brethren by untiring energy and skill, which 
brings them under honorable notice by their colabarateurs abroad. The 
McDonald fishway is a monument which will perpetuate the name of its 
inventor. Eugene Blackford of New York has his name engraved upon the 
historical records of fish, with the Lutjamis blackfordii; so might be enum- 
erated every one of these gentlemen who, without other consideration than 
the true manly sense of duty, have labored to protect and increase the fish 
supply of our country. Prof. Geek of Wurzburg, Germany, a noted scien- 
tist, is now compiling a book upon this interesting subject, and has wisely 
placed himself in correspondence with our National and State Fish Commis- 
sioners with a view of getting reliable data and information which has been 
derived from their relative experiences. This is one of many instances com- 
plimentary to American fish culturists, but when their present efforts will 
have been matured by material results, more of them will come pouring in. 

Much has yet to be done to develop the plans of increased fish culture. 
The legislatures of the several States must make liberal appropriations, the 
people are to be educated to the importance of the enterprise, and then the 
whole world will marvel at what has and can be done. Oysters, which 
form so large a part of our food supply, must be artificially propagated. 
Scientists are already occupying themselves about it, and one or two have 
even devised apparatus for testing the subject. When this is made practi- 
cable, with what is being done towards the increase in the supply of fish, a 
fund of wealth will have been opened far greater than the gold fields of 
Australia or California. Only a few years ago German carp were introduced 
into the United States, yet at present their produce would represent edible 
fish to the extent of many tons. In less than ten years the whole country 
will be stocked with them. This will materially lessen the existing vandal- 
ism practiced in our lakes and streams, consequently assisting nature in the 
increase of fish in them. 



-W* 



i\ 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 115 



The Fisheries in the Olden Time, 

BY W. E. S. * 

Upon visiting old Gloucester, my native place, recently, I was forcibly 
reminded, by way of contrast, of the ways and means by which the business 
was carried on in the years long, long ago, the days of our fathers and 
grandfathers, and even down to the time of my own boyhoofl's remembrance. 
The Grand Bank cod fishery was considered the "heavy business" in these 
old days. This was varied somewhat by occasional trips to Labrador, Bay 
Chaleur, etc. The pursuit of mackerel as a specialty had then hardly com- 
menced, and the curing and smoking of halibut for the trade was unknown. 
The crews of the Bankers would sometimes bring home a few fletched for 
family use, that were cured in the smoke of the cabin. 

Fitting away for the Banks was usually attended to along in March, and 
during April they were well on their way to their destination. Two trips, 
or fares, generally occupied the season ; a Fall fare was sometimes under- 
taken, but for this the chances were not considered favorable, by reason of 
bad weather for fishing and the equinoctial gales. The "old salts" would 
sometimes tell of intending to partake of their Christmas dinner before get- 
ting up anchor for home ; but I think that this feat was never accomplished, 
at any rate, " hardly ever." 

It was the custom to keep count of the number of fish caught, and a fare 
of thirty to forty thousand, or enough to "eat all their salt," was considered 
fair luck. An expert could estimate very nearly the amount a given num- 
ber of fish would weigh off when thoroughly cured. 

The fish were all caught "over the rail." I remember of hearing it said 
that French vessels were sometimes met with on the Banks, that were fish- 
ing with trawls. On the arrival of a Banker the first move was to ascertain 
the number of fish caught, by hailing from the rocks back of the old Fort, 
and after coming to anchor in the inner harbor commenced the "washing 
out." The "pound," a frame, or raft of timber, loosely boarded over and 
around the sides, was made fast alongside ; into this the fish were thrown, 
and the pickle and undissolved salt washed off, thence taken to the shore 
in boats, they were piled in "water house " upon a stratum of brush, shav- 
ings, etc. After remaining in this condition a week or more, to allow the 
superfluous moisture to drain off, they were transferred to the flakes, where, 
with careful tending, they were cured and thoroughly dried for market, for- 
eign or domestic. 



n6 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



For shipment to the West Indies, the Spanish main and other foreign 
ports, the fish were packed, under a powerful screw pressure, in large casks, 
made for the purpose, known as fish hogsheads. There were times after 
the close of our Revolution, and while Europe was involved in Napoleon's 
wars, that fish found a ready market and a high price on the continent. 
Triey were in great demand for army supplies. I have heard of fish being 
sold there at such times, for a French crown ($1.10) apiece. 

The fishing vessels were sometimes employed in Winter voyages to for- 
eign ports, carrying the proceeds of their Summer's work, returning with 
cargoes of foreign produce and money. Many of the fishermen would ship 
for their Winter's voyage, and thus employ their time for the year round. 
I have heard Uncle Sam Day, a veteran hand-liner, tell of going to the 
Banks in the Spring and Summer, working awhile at shoemaking in the 
Fall, and going a "wige" to Bilboa in the Winter. It was thus, that in ad- 
dition to their fishing experience, they became expert and able seamen, that 
could "hand, reef and steer" on board a man-of-war, with the same facility 
as they could haul a line over the rail. The sturdy fishermen of Glouces- 
ter, Beverly, Marblehead, and all along shore, have been well represented 
in our navy in the time of their country's need. 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



117 




Salmon Fishing at the Mouth of the Columbia River, 

Oregon. 

The season of the salmon fisheries of the Columbia river commences in 
April, and is over by the end of July. The fish are taken in tide-water by 
nets and traps, in immense quantities, as they ascend the river fresh from 
the ocean. They are cured fresh, in one and two pound cans, and cured, 
by pickle in barrels and half-barrels. The Columbia salmon is very fat, 
and of peculiarly fine flavor. Salmon fishing is also carried on at the 
mouths of the Rogue, Umpqua, Coquille, and Nehalem rivers, where the 
catches, however, serve principally to supply the home consumption. 

The salmon pack on the Pacific coast during the past season, 188 1, has 
been the largest ever known. The following, from the San Francisco 
Journal of Commerce, are the particulars : Columbia River, 540,000 cases ; 
Sacramento River (Spring), 140,000 do.; Sacramento River (Fall), 40,000 do.; 
Fraser River, 110,000 do.; miscellaneous — outside rivers, 30,000 do.; total, 
860,000 cases. The total pack for the past four years has been as follows : 
1881, 860,000 cases; 1880, 679,495 do.; 1879, 539,600 do.; 1878, 638,000 
do. It is thus seen that 1881 leaves all othe'r years far in the shade, being 
nearly 27 per cent, higher than that of 1880, the greatest previous year. 

The first white men, as we learn from the "Astorian," who fished in the 
Columbia river to the extent of making a business of it, were Italians, who 



n8 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



supplied the little market demand at Portland during the run, and salted 
down a few kegs for Winter use. In 1864 Mr. William Hume, a practical 
fisherman, started a cannery on the Sacramento river, California, and did a 
profitable business, but hearing that the Chinock or Columbia river salmon 
were of better quality than the fish of the Sacramento, came up in the 
Spring of 1866 to investigate. He at once secured a site at Eagle Cliff, on 
the Washington Territory side of the river, put up a small building, brought 
appliances and skilled men from his establishment on the Sacramento, and 
that season — 1866 — put up 4,000 cases of four dozen one-pound cans each. 
In this work he employed forty persons, ten of whom were fishermen. His 
success in catching and packing the fish, and his subsequent profitable sale 
of the pack, encouraged him and his partner (Mr. Hapgood, of California,) 
to double their facilities, and the next season they put up 8,000 cases. In 
1867 George W. Hume, who had been a sharer in the original venture, drew 
out and put up a cannery of his own, packing 10,000 cases. The next year 
William Hume and Hapgood and George Hume continued in the business, 
and Capt. John West, of Westport, put up a cannery, the total pack of the 
three establishments being 28,000 cases. The next season R. D. Hume, 
brother of William and George, set up a cannery at Cathlamet, and from 
that year — 1869 — the business has grown rapidly until now, when salmon 
packing is the largest industry, save wheat growing, in the Northwest, when 
more salmon is put up on the Columbia river than in all other localities in 
the world. 

The following table, showing the number of cases packed each year, the 
corresponding price of canned salmon, and the cost of fish on the river, will 
illustrate the progress and changes which sixteen years have made : 



Year. 


Total Product. 


Price. 


Cost of Fish 


1866 


4,000 


$16.00 


15 cents 


1867 


18,000 


13.00 


15 


u 


1868 


28,000 


12.00 


20 


a 


1869 


100,000 


10.00 


20 


a 


1870 


150,000 


9.00 


20 


<< 


1871 


200,000 


7-5° 


22^ 


<« 


1872 


250,000 


8.00 


2 5 


<< 


1873 


250,000 


7.00 


2 5 


(< 


1874 


350,000 


6.50 


2 5 


a 


18.75 


375> 000 


5.60 


2 5 


a 


1876 


450,000 


4-5° 


2 5 


1. 


18.77 


460,000 


5.20 


2 5 


«( 


1878 


460,000 


5.00 


2 5 


<( 


1879 


480,000 


4.60 


5° 


<< 


1880 


530,000 


4.80 


5° 


<( 


1881 


550,000 


5 °° 


60 


«« 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 119 

Between Cape Disappointment and the Cascades there are thirty five can- 
ning establishments and more than a dozen fishing stations. At each of 
these points there are houses of various kinds, canneries filled with expen- 
sive appliances, etc., etc. Ten steamboats and tugs, owned by the canners, 
run as tenders, and one large boat is run during the season by the O. R. & 
N. Co., merely to carry fish. There are 1,400 fishing boats and nets on the 
river. The total value of all property engaged in the salmon business is 
above $2,000,000, the largest individual interest being that of William 
Hume, $150,000. Fishing boats cost $250 each, and nets from $300 to 
$400 each. A boat will last ten years with ordinary usage. The boats are 
of Port Orford cedar and oak, with copper fastenings, and are made by 
builders at Astoria. Formerly all boats were made at San Francisco, but the 
Astoria merchants do better and cheaper work, and so have monopolized 
the business. More than fifty boats were built here this Summer. They 
are generally 24 feet long, 26 inches deep, and 6 feet 6 inches beam, sharp 
at both ends, narrowly decked on the ends and sides, furnished with center- 
boards, and can be rowed or sailed, as the winds serve. They are magnifi- 
cent sea boats, run easily, and will carry about four tons. 

The number of men directly employed in the fishing business during the 
busy season is about 7,500, of whom 4,000 are Chinese. It is impossible to 
give exact figures, because the figures continually change, but these esti- 
mates are based upon careful inquiry, and are approximately correct. In 
the actual work of fishing about 2,500 white men were engaged from April 
1 to August 1 — four months. Half of these are masters of boats and the 
other half assistants or pullers. Independent fishermen who own their 
boats and nets and sell their catch to the canneries, receive 60 or 62^ cents 
per fish. As a rule, however, the canneries own the outfits, for the use of 
which the fisherman gives one-third of his catch, receiving only 40 cents 
per fish from the cannery. Each fisherman employs and makes terms with 
his own boat puller, the usual rate for this service being a share in the 
catch, about the equivalent of $70 per month. One hundred dollars per 
month, after charges for boat and net and pay of boat puller are, deducted, 
is considered only a fair return to the fisherman, and the average is rather 
above than below this estimate. Only white men engage in fishing, the 
greater proportion, however, being Italians, Fins, and other foreigners, men 
without families, who come to the river from San Francisco only during the 
fishing season. 

In the canneries all the responsible places are filled by white men, whose 
pay ranges from $50 to $150 per month, the average being about $65. 
About one thousand men are so employed. The greater part of the inside 
work is done by Chinamen, whose average pay is $1 per day and board. 
Four thousand are employed on the river. 



120 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 




On the Beach in a Storm, 



Is a suggestive picture, well calculated to awaken the sympathies. The 
women are the wives of fishermen, who are off on the waste of waters, seek- 
ing to make the harbor in the violence of the Summer gale. Night is fast 
settling down over the scene, and amid the gathering darkness the women, 
with hearts full of dread apprehensions, watch the little boats as they breast 
the waves, far out on the seething waters, ever and anon encouraging the 
active little fellow, who appears with his arms full of wood, to pile it on, and 
thus keep the fire burning brightly, as a beacon light, to guide their loved 
ones to safety when the night shuts down. They heed not the piercing 
winds, not the fury of the blasts — their hearts are out there with loved ones, 
and their prayer is that they may safely reach the harbor. Then, and then 
only, can they feel at rest. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 




Narrow Escape from Foundering. 

Sch. David A. Story, Capt. Joseph Ryan, left Gloucester, Nov. 12, 1880, 
with a favoring breeze, and had a magnificent run, making the passage to 
Grand Menan, a distance of two hundred and twenty-five miles, in the re- 
markably short time of eighteen hours. After procuring a supply of bait 
she proceeded to Halifax, where she arrived on Sunday evening, and taking 
a supply of ice on board the next day, put to sea again on Tuesday evening, 
and arrived on St. Peter's Bank on Friday, the 19th. On Saturday one set 
of the trawls was made, the only set during the trip, and finding no fish, the 
vessel was got underway and moved farther to the eastward. No other op- 
portunity was presented to fish, as it was blowing heavily all the while, and 
Monday, the 22d, at about four o'clock in the afternoon, the schooner then 
having about three hundred fathoms of nine-inch cable out in ninety-five 
fathoms of water, she struck adrift. She was given another hundred fath- 
oms of cable, which failed to bring her up, the northwest wind blowing so 
furiously, and the tide running so strong, that she floated her cable and an- 
chor and drifted before the wind and tide. The signal lights could not be 
kept burning a great while at a time in such a gale, but everything was made 
as snug as possible, and leaving the regular watch of two men on deck, the 
rest of the crew retired, six being quartered in the cabin and six in the fore- 
castle. 

About half-past two o'clock on the morning of Tuesday, the 23d, finding 
that the cable needed parceling, one of the watch went below to call the 
captain, leaving only one man, Lyman Murray, on deck. Just at this time 
the vessel was struck by a tremendous sea, knocking her down, with her 
masts level in the water. Murray saw the sea coming, and running to the 



i22 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

leeward of the foremast, clung to the iron around the stovepipe, which was 
attached to the deck, where he was found insensible when the rest of the 
crew were able to get on deck, with his leg broken, and splinters of the 
shattered spars driven through his boot and into the leg. The house and 
forecastle companion-ways were stove, and a flood of water pouring into the 
cabin and forecastle prevented the egress of the men who were imprisoned 
there. One man succeeded in getting out of the cabin and walked along 
on the side of the house, holding on to the weather rail. Fortunately, in 
about a minute and a half the vessel wore round and righted, and the rest 
of the crew were released from their duress, when a scene of desolation met 
their gaze. 

In capsizing, the cable had parted, involving the loss of four hundred and 
fifteen fathoms thereof, with an anchor ; the fore-boom was broken into two 
pieces, and the fore-gaff into three, a piece of the latter being found forward 
of the foremast, and another portion across the bowsprit; the signal light 
was in pieces at the foremast head ; the saddle and all the apparatus around 
the mast was destroyed ; the foresail was badly split and the riding-sail 
blown away ; the schooner's six dories were washed away or smashed to 
pieces on the deck ; and the gurry-pens and everything movable on deck 
was destroyed. Below, the fires and lights were extinguished by the water, 
all the open stores and cooking gear were destroyed, and the bedding and 
clothing of the crew completely soaked. As soon as possible steps were 
taken to clear away the wreck, two of the men setting their wounded com- 
panion's leg while the others were clearing the deck. An attempt was made 
to lay her to, which was ineffectual, as they could not balance-reef the main- 
sail, and she was run before the wind for about four hours. While thus 
running she was boarded by another, though smaller, sea, and Capt. Ryan 
had a narrow escape from being washed overboard, saving himself by cling- 
ing to a reef-point in the foresail. The weather was very severe, and with 
no opportunity to dry their clothes, the crew had a hard time of it for the 
ensuing week, while endeavoring to make a port. They arrived at Canso 
at noon on Wednesday, Dec. ist, where they landed their injured shipmate, 
and after making a few necessary repairs proceeded to Halifax, and thence 
home. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



123 







Hammerhead Shark— The Shark's Mouth— Shark Fishing, 

The above engraving illustrates a species of shark of the genus Zygcena. 
The head is flat with the orbits extending laterally in a most extraordinary 
manner, flexible and doubled on themselves in the fcetus, but standing out at 
right angles and to a greater distance as age advances. On the end of 
these lateral processes are the large eyes. Appleton's Encyclopaedia states 
that "this strange form of head is found in no other vertebrate, and only in 
some dipterous insects (diopsis, 6°^.), and in many decapod crustaceans 
whose eyes are at the end of long pedicels. The snout is truncated so that 
the head resembles a double hammer ; the nostrils are on the front border 
and have a small nasal flap ; the teeth are alike above and below, com- 
pressed pyramids, sometimes with serrated external basal ridge and a mesial 
tooth in both jaws, tail pits distinct. It attains a length of twelve feet or 
more, and is grayish above, with head nearly black, and whitish below ; the 
iris is yellow ; the first dorsal is high, triangular, falcate, and toward the 
upper part of the back, the second smaller and near the tail. It is found in 



124 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

the Mediterranean and in the warm seas of most parts of the globe, espe- 
cially of the East Indies, and generally in deep water. The common spe- 
cies of America, between Massachusetts and Brazil, once considered the 
Z. malleus, has been described by Dr. Storer as the Z. arcuata ; it attains a 
-length of eleven or twelve feet, and is much dreaded by fishermen." 

The shark's mouth is one of the most formidable means of destruction we 
know of among animals anywhere. It is on the under side of the head, 
some distance back of the end of the snout, and crescent-shaped. The 
teeth are in three to seven close, crescentric, parallel rows, the largest and 
oldest ones in front, the smaller ones behind — that is, further inside the 
mouth. Some sharks have more than two hundred of these teeth. They 
are three-cornered, exceedingly thin and sharp-pointed, and in some cases 
have saw-edges. When the mouth is wide open they stand erect, almost 
protrude from the lip, but when it is closed they lie down flat, out of the 
way. When those in the front row wear out or break off, the next row be- 
hind is gradually pushed forward to take their place. The shark thus has 
reserves of teeth which, operated by the tough and exceedingly muscular 
mechanism of the jSv,,s, are able to bite through anything, especially since 
the bite is nearly always accompanied by a rolling or wrenching movement, 
which causes the teeth to act like a saw, and thus cut through the quicker. 
For some of the sharks in the South seas it would only be a moderate 
mouthful to take half a man's body in, and clip him off at the waist. Nev- 
ertheless, we believe fewer persons have lost their lives by sharks than we 
generally suppose, though many narrow escapes are constantly happening. 

A veteran New York fisherman says : "Shark fishing pays, and it's great 
fun for a green hand. The business is carried on principally for the oil 
and fins. A big place for them is the White Sea, and again in Iceland. 
The sharks they get there are from thirty to fifty feet long. Sometimes they 
run in around the Grand Bank and are caught. About four barrels of oil is 
the average from a good-sized fellow. My shark fishing was all done near 
New Smyrna, Florida. Some sharks would give half a barrel of oil, but they 
were generally under fifteen feet. We usually hired from fifteen to twenty 
darkies to do the pulling and hauling, and camped out during the months 
of July, August and September, moving up and down whenever the biting 
was poor. We carried our pots and things along and tried out the livers, 
and shipped the oil by a smack up to Fernandina, where it was all bought 
by one man. I don't know what he did with it. Some said he sold it for 
cod liver oil. We used a regular hook and line, only it was a rope, and the 
hook was a foot long, and made fast to the line by a three-foot chain. Fish 
bait was the best. We kept about twenty of these lines over all the time 
at regular intervals along wherever the water deepened quick from the 
shore. All the lines were about fifty yards long. Sometimes they fool over 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



125 



the bait, but generally a big shark will nose it once or twice, and then suck 
it up and move off, swallowing the bait as he goes. You want to give him 
about fifteen feet of rope, and when he hauls the line taut all jerk together. 
Then the work commences — fun some people call it. As soon as he feels 
the hook he makes a big rush that will often start ten or fifteen men, and 
I've seen five jerked right into the water on the start. Up and down he 
goes, sometimes jumping into the air and trying to shake out the hook, and 
some old fellows will swim right for you and try to bite the line. In India 
they catch the sharks for their fins and send them to China, where they 
make them into soup." 

In an interesting article on shark fishing, in Frank Leslie's Illustrated 
Newspaper, we learn that the "capacity of some of these sea-wonders is 
enormous. The writer caught one at Tortugas, Fla., that weighed about 
900 pounds. It was a white shark, and for a long time had lived around 
the slaughter-house located on the edge of the channel. It took about 
twenty men to get him in ultimately. In the stomach was found the skull 
and horns of a steer that had been thrown over the day before, three hoofs, 
besides a heterogeneous mass of old rope, seaweed, ar- J t, m or three old tin 
cans that perhaps retained some of the meats that had been packed in 
them. The jaw was saved. It had eight rows of serrated teeth, and fitted 
over a man's body easily. It is now in the Museum of Natural History, 
Central Park. The fossil sharks of the tertiary period grew to an enormous 
length, exceeding 150 feet. At Charleston, S. C, their teeth are found bur- 
ied in vast quantities, some measuring seven inches in length. A horse and 
cart could easily have driven into the mouths of these monsters, that were 
fitting representatives of the age of expansion in which they lived. 



NO MORE SEA. 



BY S. G. D. 



We wandered hand in hand that day, 
Beside the calm, blue sea, 
The smiling, sunlit sea; 
The waters murmured at our feet, 
The world was fair, and life was sweet, 
The hours sped by on pinions fleet, — 
He told his love for me 1 

Alone I walk the shore to-night, 

Beside the stormy sea, 

The wildly tossing sea; 
The watery waste is one vast grave ; 



sweeping surf I O moaning wave ! 
What far-off, dreary, sunless cave 

Keeps back my love from me ? 

The tides come in, the tides go out, — 

But nevermore the sea, 

The restless, fickle sea, 
Brings back my love. Yet, hand iu hand, 

1 know my love and I shall stand, 
Some blissful day in that fair land, 

Where there is no more sea ! 



126 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



Fishermen's Superstitions. 

BY J. W. COLLINS. 

That there is more or less superstitious feeling in all seamen, from the 
humblest fisher boy to the rear admiral, is apparent to every one who has 
had an opportunity to' observe the peculiarities of seafaring men. The fact 
that seamen, and especially fishermen, seem to be more dependent on "luck" 
than almost any other class of men, and that they are constantly meeting 
with events calculated to excite superstitious feelings in the credulous, is, 
without doubt, the cause of their believing in omens, signs, etc., to a certain 
extent. 

But, are fishermen much more superstitious than other people among 
whom they mingle when on shore, or even, to go farther than that, some 
who move in the j'rughest circles?" 

Most writers ontfa^ fisheries have discussed the credulity of the fisher- 
men, and, no doubt, many people have come to think that in this respect 
they differ from the majority of mankind. Perley,* writing of the fisherman 
of the Bay of Fundy, says : "He will undertake nothing of consequence 
upon a Friday, and can prove by a hundred incidents how infallible are the 
signs and omens which he believes in. He thinks to die in his bed. True 
it is that he has been overset; that his boat, loaded with fish to the 'gun- 
nel,' has sunk under him, and that a vessel has run over him; but he is still 
alive and was not born to be drowned." * * " He believes in witches 
and dreams." 

Granting that fishermen are credulous, it by no means follows that they 
are peculiar in this respect; or that they are the only ones who believe 
that "coming events cast their shadows before." The thrifty New England 
housewife looks with unspeakable dread on a broken looking-glass, predict- 
ing "seven years' hard luck;" expects a stranger when she drops her dish- 
cloth on the floor; tells her daughter, if the latter upsets a chair acciden- 
tally, "You won't get married this year;" and so on, ad infinitum. 

An excellent authority, Sabine,t writing of the American fisherman, says : 
"It is said that he is credulous and superstitious. Admit that 'Kidd's 
money' has been dug for in every dark nook of the coast, or talked about 
in every cuddy, for a century and a half, and that horseshoes are nailed upon 
the masts of fishing vessels to keep off witches; what then? Is he the 



*M. H. Perley. " Report on the Fisheries of New Brunswick," 1851. 
•(•Lorenzo Sabine. " Report on Fisheries of the American Seas," 1853, p. 3S3. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 127 

only one who has been or still is, guilty of the same follies?" He adds, in 
afoot note: "In 1825 the Duchess de Berri visited a watering place in 
France, and indulged in sea bathing. Sea water and fish which were after- 
wards taken from the spot were articles of immense value, and sold at 
enormous prices. Indeed, those persons who could not purchase a whole 
fish gladly possessed themselves of a few scales or a fin! The water where 
the 'royal person' had been washed, when bottled, and offered for sale, was 
known as 'Berri wine.'" Well may Sabine ask, "Have fishermen in any 
age been guilty of greater folly than these fashionable people of France?" 

Among the New England fishermen the superstitious belief in the various 
signs and omens that will be spoken of farther on, is by no means univer- 
sal. On the contrary, many of the most intelligent pay little attention to 
what they call "old women's yarns." Among the superstitions of the New 
England fishermen may be mentioned the following: 

First — A belief in lucky and unlucky sailing days. Almost from time 
immemorial Friday has been considered an ill-omened day upon which to 
begin a voyage. Nor has this belief been confined to fishermen alone, but 
has been shared in common by all seamen. At present, little regard is paid 
what are called unlucky sailing days by the Gloucester fishermen. This is 
no doubt due, in a degree at least, to the sharp competition that has sprung 
up among the fishermen, and it is not an unusual sight, when a fine Friday 
comes after a period of bad weather, to see a large fleet spread their snowy 
canvas and sail away for the fishing grounds. 

That the beginning of a voyage on Friday has been followed by both 
good and ill results in an equally great number of cases might easily be 
shown. I can relate two opposite instances out of my own experience, as, 
doubtless, could many others. 

In the Spring of 1864 I started on a codfishing trip to Cashes, sailing on 
Friday. This trip, though not disastrous, was an eventful one, and did not 
prove so successful as circumstances had led us to expect. On one occa- 
sion during the trip, having to take the place in a dory of one of the crew 
who was sick, I went astray in the fog, and was out several hours — the only 
occurrence of that kind that ever happened to me. Another day the vessel 
caught fire in the forecastle, during the cook's absence, and while the rest of 
us were busy dressing fish. The first knowledge we had of it was the burst- 
ing of flames out of the forward companion-way. The fire had made such 
progress that we succeeded in subduing it only with the greatest difficulty 
and at considerable personal risk. One night, the man on watch, in trying 
to change the "net-swing," to which was attached a gang of herring nets, 
lost his hold of the rope, and away went the whole lot, drifting off with the 
tide. Prompt action on our part saved the nets, though it was not looked 
upon as a particularly lucky incident to have to turn out at midnight and 



i 2 8 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

start off, half naked, to search for the drifting property. But, to crown all, 
a big school of dogfish struck on the fishing ground and drove all other 
kinds of fish away, rendering useless all further attempts to complete our 
trip. As might have been expected, the more credulous ascribed these un- 
fortunate incidents to having sailed on Friday. 

On another occasion I began my year's work upon a Friday early in Jan- 
uary, and it so happened that we left home on the same "unlucky" day 
every trip but one during the whole year. As we were successful in all in- 
stances, our crew came to think that Friday was a lucky sailing day. 

Second — A belief in "Jonahs." A Jonah may be something animate or 
inanimate, or even the result of the actions or accidents of persons ; in fact, 
almost everything that is supposed to bring ill luck is called a Jonah. Thus, 
a vessel known to be unfortunate is said to be a Jonah ; it is often difficult 
to obtain a crew of good men for her, if men are scarce, although she may 
be well adapted for the business in which she is engaged. Equal trouble is 
also sometimes experienced by expert fishermen in securing a berth on 
board of a fishing vessel, because they possess the unenviable reputation of 
being a Jonah. Of this I will speak further on. 

As to the vessels, it occasionally happens, curiously enough, that some of 
them meet with ill fortune for several years in succession, and under such 
circumstances that, to believers, the evidence of their being Jonahs is as 
strong as "proofs of Holy Writ." 

I recall a singular circumstance of this kind, with the particulars of which 
I was familiar at the time they occurred. Several years ago a new vessel 
was brought to Gloucester from the port where she was built. She was 
of the largest class employed in the fisheries — a beauty in model and rig — 
and the skipper, who was a young man, and part owner, naturally felt a 
commendable pride in the fine schooner which he commanded. One day, 
however, while this vessel was being fitted for her first trip, an acquaintance 
of the captain said to him, "I'm sorry you have had that vessel built." 
When asked for his reasons, he continued, "I have known the man who 
built her to launch more than twenty schooners during the past few years, 
and none of them ever made a dollar for their owners, while few of them 
have lived more than two or three years, being either wrecked on the shore 
or foundered at sea." Strange to say, that, for the nineteen months the 
first skipper sailed in her, "there was nae luck aboot the house." This was 
exceedingly trying to one who had previously been fortunate and who felt 
a pride in his profession. Finally, becoming disgusted and somewhat dis- 
heartened by his ill success and unrequited labors, he sold out his share of 
the vessel and left her, almost convinced that what had been told him by 
his friend was not very far from the truth. 

The sad sequel remains to be told. The schooner — not yet two years 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 129 

old — was lost at sea on her next voyage. The captain and two of the crew 
were drowned, and the survivors, after enduring much suffering while lashed 
to the wreck, were finally taken off and returned home to tell the particulars 
of this ill-fated episode. 

From the day she first sailed out of Gloucester harbor — looking like a 
yacht, with a crowd of canvas spread to the breeze — to the time she lay 
a helpless and dismantled wreck on the bosom of the storm-swept Atlantic, 
she was continually meeting with ill fortune. 

Quite as strange tales, nay, even more marvellous ones, could be related 
of the good or ill fortune of individuals, and the varying experiences of dif- 
ferent persons often form the topic of conversation on board the fishing 
vessels. 

Thank goodness, the superstitious belief in men being Jonahs often meets 
with a rebuff so severe as to hinder it from becoming anything like a gen- 
eral one ! I was present once when one skipper enquired of another — nod- 
ding his head at the same time in the direction of a man who was at work 
on the vessel — "Are you going to carry that man?" Receiving an affirm- 
ative reply, he continued, "You won't get any fish then; he's a regular 
Jonah." The reply was, "Jonah, or no Jonah, he goes this trip anyway." 
As the trip in question was a successful one, nothing more was heard about 
the man being a Jonah, though, to tell the truth, he had been so considered 
by many of his associates. 

Another similar instance may be mentioned. A young man who has 
sailed from Gloucester several years, had, for a while, rather hard fortune, 
and it was whispered that he was one of the much-to-be-shunned Jonahs. 
Nothing else could be said against him, since he was an excellent fisher- 
man, daring, energetic, and, withal, a pleasant shipmate. "But, he is a 
Jonah ! " the credulous exclaimed, whenever the vessel he sailed in failed to 
make a good trip. His luck changed, however, after a time, and thereafter 
those who previously had felt much opposed to being shipmates with him 
were glad to sail in the same vessel that he did. Meeting with him, not 
long ago, I was pleased to learn that he was enjoying better fortune than 
formerly. In reply to my enquiries as to his present success, he said : 
"Wherever I have been this year I have been lucky. It don't make any 
difference now what vessel I go in, I always get a good trip — the fish are 
sure to be there." One can readily imagine how gratifying such a change 
must be to a person who previously had met with undeserved ill-fortune. 

But it often happens that some poor fellow has a "streak" of hard luck 
really astonishing, so much so, indeed, that it is not wonderful that, after a 
while, his acquaintances come to have superstitious feelings about him. It 
matters not how much he may change from vessel to vessel, his luck follows 
him, and, the strangest of all is that the vessels which are unfortunate while 



1 3 o FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

he is in them, meet with excellent success at other times. All old fishermen 
can tell such incidents. I knew a circumstance of this kind that occurred a 
few years ago : 

A young man, engaged in the haddock fishery, secured a berth with one of 
the smartest skippers who sails from Gloucester. But, notwithstanding the 
fact that every possible effort was put forth, poor results followed, and the 
months of November and December wore away, the crew in the meantime 
not sharing more than $25 to a man. Everybody felt discouraged. At this 
time, however, the young man of whom I am speaking, and who, it was said, 
was one of the unlucky ones, left the vessel and shipped in another. On 
the next trip the vessel he had left shared $20 from only two days' fishing, 
and on succeeding trips did even better than that, making an excellent 
Winter's work. But the second vessel in which the man shipped (though 
commanded by one of the most expert skippers) failed to get a share of fish 
after he joined her, and the same result was met with by this unfortunate 
individual in a third vessel which he joined during the Winter. The myste- 
rious part of it was that in each of the three cases the vessels which met 
with poor success while he was in them did much better than an average 
during the rest of the season. What wonder is there that, in the light of 
such experiences, fishermen are inclined to be somewhat superstitious ? 

Some fishermen believe that a valise, when carried on board a vessel, is 
a Jonah. Probably this belief is largely due to the prejudice felt against 
carrying such an unseamanlike article on a fishing trip. 

Opinions differ as to whether certain other things are Jonahs or not. 
Among those believed to be such by a few persons may be mentioned vio- 
lins, checker-boards, toy-boats, a bucket sitting on deck partly full of water, 
soaking mackerel in a bucket, etc., etc. 

The accidents and actions of members of the crew that are supposed to 
bring ill success, or to be forerunners of such, are, dropping a hatch in the 
hold, turning a hatch bottom up, breaking a looking-glass, driving nails on 
Sunday,* and letting the splices of a cable stop in the hawse-pipe when the 
vessel is anchoring on the fishing ground. 

As to other beliefs, it may be said that all fishermen whistle for a breeze 
when it is calm, and some occasionally stick a knife in the after side of the 
mainmast to bring a fair wind. A bee, or a small land bird coming on board, 
it is supposed, will bring good luck, while ill fortune will follow the lighting 
of a hawk, owl, or crow on the rigging of a vessel. It is believed that a 
smart blow on the head of a fish that has just been separated from the body, 
will kill the latter which still retains muscular motion. A hook, which has 



*Some of the skippers make a practice of driving nails on Sunday if they have need to do 
so. This is, perhaps, done as much to antagonize the belief in its being unlucky as for any- 
thing else. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



*3i 



been stuck in the hand, is immediately thrust into a piece of pine so that the 
wound will not be sore. Just how and why the blow on the fish's head 
should have any effect on the body from which it has been previously torn, 
and why sticking the point of a hook into a piece of wood should make any 
difference in the healing of a wound, are subjects for the curiously inclined 
to investigate. It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to mention the belief in 
horseshoes warding off witches, etc., as among the superstitions peculiar to 
fishermen, since the belief in the efficacy of these objects to prevent ill for- 
tune is now seemingly recognized in the highest society, if one is allowed to 
judge by the gilded horseshoes conspicuously displayed in the parlors of the 
fashionable. 

"The earth has bubbles, as the water has; and these are of them." — Shakespeare. 




The above engraving gives a capital view of the old Fort and Gloucester 
Harbor in 1837. The Grand Banker and pinkey lying at anchor look as. 
natural as can be. There is a vast difference in the appearance of the old 
Fort property of to day from that of forty-five years agone. Then it had but 
one building besides the ruins of the Fort — now it is covered with dwellings 
and storehouses, and its entire water front converted into fine wharves, 
forming one of the most valuable pieces of property in the city. 



I 3 2 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 




Foreign Commerce of Gloucester. 

Gloucester, after Boston, has more foreign arrivals than any other seaport 
in Massachusetts ! While Salem and Newburyport have hardly a square- 
rigged vessel arrive in their harbors for a year, Gloucester has sometimes a 
fleet of five or six in port at one time. Through the kindness of Collector 
Babson we are enabled to give the following statistics : 

For the year ending Dec. 31, 1881, there arrived at the port of Glouces- 
ter, 1 ship, 18 barks, 2 brigs, and 182 schooners from foreign ports. 27 
ships, barks, brigs and schooners arrived from Cadiz, Trapani and other 
salt ports. Gloucester has become almost the headquarters for the salt trade 
of the fisheries. 126 cargoes of lumber, fish, wood and potatoes were re- 
ceived at this port last year from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Bruns- 
wick and other countries. About $200,000 worth of merchandise was im- 
ported, at the foreign valuation, worth here at least $400,000. By these 
.figures it will be seen that besides its great fishing interests, and its being 
.the great centre of fish distribution for the United States, Gloucester has 
quite a respectable foreign commerce. Gloucester owns 10,000 tons more 
shipping than Salem, Marblehead, Beverly and Newburyport combined. 
But while Gloucester has 473 vessels, not one square-rigged vessel is owned 
here, while in 1828, fifty-four years ago, Gloucester had 29 foreign arrivals, 
and collected duties on goods to the amount of $127,000, with one-quarter 
part of its present tonnage. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



133 




Fishermen Coming into Port. 

From the Home of the Fish to the Table of the Consumer. 

It is a lively scene, down at some of our wharves in the breezy days of 
midwinter, to witness one or more of the Bankers or Georgesmen round the 
Point and come gayly up the harbor. Sometimes they are minus a spar or 
sail and are all battered or iced up, the crew having had a hard time freeing 
the bows and rigging from the frozen spray, which in a bitter cold day hard- 
ens as soon as it strikes, and piles itself up on the overburdened craft with 
amazing quickness. Then the safety of the vessel and her management 
through the cold, seething waters, render it an imperative necessity that the 
ice be dislodged, and a cold, cheerless task it is which the fisherman has 
forced upon him. Short spells of this ice pounding, with the thermometer 
below zero, is all that men can endure, and they are frequently relieved, all 
hands taking their turn and making the best of an unwelcome duty. But 
snug in the harbor, anchor down, sails furled, pipes lighted, with the catch 
sold, the crew have a little resting spell. Then the vessel is hauled along- 
side the wharf of some of the fresh fish buyers, the hatches opened, and out 
from the depths below are hoisted the mammoth halibut, direct from the ice 
house, where they are kept as sweet and fresh as when first caught. Up 
they come in pairs, and sometimes in triplets, according to their size, and 
oftentimes a monster weighing two hundred pounds and upwards will show 
his nose above deck and be slowly landed on the wharf. Visions of nice 
fried or baked halibut tickle the palate, as the fish are thus landed. After 
their heads are taken off and the fish thoroughly cleansed and packed in 
boxes, the last thing done, ere they are nailed up, is to fill their napes with 
crushed ice, which insures their preservation, and off they are shipped by rail 



i 3 4 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

or steamer to Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Lowell and other large cities, 
where they find ready sales. The codfish are discharged mostly at the 
wharves of the vessel owners, where they are decapitated and then salted in 
butts, and when sufficiently salt are transferred to the flakes for a given 
time and dried. Then they find their way, the most of them, in these days, 
to the skinning lofts, where nimble fingers divest them of skin and bones, 
and the solid pieces of fish, handsome as can be, are packed in boxes from 
ten to two hundred pounds each, which find their way from the warehouses 
of our enterprising fish producers to all sections of this country. The trade 
is simply immense, and constantly on the increase, for the praise of the 
Gloucester boneless cod is abroad in the land, and dealers and consumers 
demand it from headquarters, direct from first hands. 

Who would have thought, from the small beginning in the putting up of 
boneless codfish, of only a few years since, that such large results would 
follow ? And now that fish is packed in such clean, attractive packages, the 
attention of consumers is drawn toward it. The old objection to stripping 
and cleaning, and purchasing so much waste, is heard no more. The clean 
fish ready for a salt fish dinner or fish balls, is now for sale by all first-class 
grocers in the country, and the Gloucester brands, of which there are sev- 
eral hundred, each large purchaser having his private brands, are printed 
indelibly on the boxes. Some of these brands are very handsome and add 
much to the attractiveness of the packages. 

The first man, Mr. George H. Smith, we think it was, who put up fish in 
this way, never dreamed that this act of his would revolutionize the entire 
fish trade, but so it has proved ! The old fish dealers, conservative, as they 
had a right to be, saw not the cloud which was rising, but kept in the old 
channels of shipping whole fish, until their customers demanded of them 
the boneless fish in boxes. And then they gave way to the inevitable. 
There was no help for it. Either adopt the new mode or lose the business 
altogether. And they entered into the business with the same energy which 
characterized their other transactions, and we have to-day, here in old 
Gloucester, a business which is now only in its infancy, a business which 
will keep the fleet busy, which will take all the fish they can catch, at remu- 
nerative prices, a business which will keep Gloucester in the front as a fish- 
ing port and furnish occupation for her people. 

It's lively all through, from the time the vessel leaves the harbor until 
she arrives on the ground, and from the catching of the fish to the dressing, 
then the salting and drying, boning and skinning, shipping, and finally the 
serving up of the toothsome dish on the table with drawn butter and egg 
sauce, or the good old fashioned pork scraps, with beets and potatoes. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



i35 




The Eegatta, 



The above has the true salt water flavor, and causes the blood to course 
through the veins with quickened motion. The fleet of yachts are off for 
the race, sailing with a "start sheet," each one doing her best to lead. How 
they fly over the water, which is not very rough, although there seems to be 
a pretty decent breeze to waft them along. 

It is, indeed, a pretty sight, and the yachtsman's life is replete with pleas- 
ure as he cruises along the coast during the Summer time, coming to anchor 
in the harbors and rivers, and participating in all the pleasures pertaining 
thereto. There is a deep love for it inherent in many hearts. To such the 
sea has attractions of which they never tire. Their enjoyment is to sail 
o'er the waters, free as the birds of the air \ to inhale the sea breeze in all 
its freshness and health-giving powers ; to join with others in the exciting 
regatta ; to crowd on sail and rush through the waters, doing their best to 
secure the prize and win a good name for their boat, which they love most 
intensely; and whose good points they strive so hard to bring out on such 
occasions. 

" A wet sheet and a flowing sea, 
A wind that follows fast, 
That fills the white and rustling sail, 
And bends the gallant mast." 



136 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



A Night in Boston Bay. 

BY JACOB S. LORD. 

"YesI we had a rough night, you may believe, Uncle Moore;" 
Thus spoke a young fisherman, as he stepped on the shore ; 

u We ran off yesterday noon to set our trawl, 
Thinking to be home long ere nightfall ; 
But the wind struck nor'west and did heavily blow, 
Accompanied with squalls of rain, sleet and snow. 
We three-reefed our mainsail, expecting a hard beat, 
Prom our jib took the bonnet, and trimmed down the sheet ; 
"We double-reefed the foresail and rolled it up snug, 
Well knowing jib and mainsail were all she eonld lug; 
The dories were lashed down, secure and compact, 
Then we gave her a good full, down helm and tacked. 
Though the sea was running heavy she did not misstay, 
And soon we were close hauled, standing up Boston Bay. 
It was fast growing cold, with the wind still increasing; 
But our twenty-ton boat was steadily forereaehing; 
Quite fast made the ice from spray that she'd heave 
As through the turbulent waters her way she would cleave. 
The man at the wheel, aud the lookout as well, 
Every half hour were given a spell ; 
For those who've beat up in a Winter's nor'west breeze 
Know full well how quickly the helmsman will freeze. 
So the night wore away till past four o'clock, 
When under the lee we made Half- Way Rock. 
The water now smooth, our position made clear, 
We gave her the foresail — off she went like a deer. 
For Norman's Woe Rock we now shaped our course, 
The wind being more westerly and lighter in force ; 
In due season we heard the deep sullen roar 
Of the seas as they broke on the Magnolia shore ; 
A few minutes later, as through the water we plough, 
The rock shows itself upon the port bow. 
Our hearts were made light as out of danger we passed, 
At least for the present, and were near home at last. 
Passing Ten Pound Island, we shoot into the cove, 
And down goes the anchor of the W. H. Gove. 
Right proud are we of the staunch little boat, 
Which through so terrible a night kept us safely afloat. 
Let those who eat fish and growl at the price, 
Take a trip offshore, shovel snow and pound ice ; 
One good shaking up in old Boston Bay, 
And they'll ne'er more find fault with fishermen's pay." 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



i37 




Truthful and Startling Accounts 

Of Tough Times, Narrow Escapes, Disasters, Plucky Doings, Thrilling Nar- 
ratives, Perilous Positions, and Other Noteworthy Happenings to the Fish- 
ermen While in Pursuit of Their Calling. 

Lost in the Fog. — Seven Days Adrift in a Dory on Grand Bank, without 
Food. — Two of the crew of sch. Marathon of this port, George M. Roberts 
of Yarmouth, N. S., and James Austin of Liverpool, N. S., left that vessel 
on Grand Bank, at half-past four on the afternoon of Oct. 7, 1874, to visit 
their trawls. Soon after, it commenced to breeze up and a thick fog shut 
in. A dory, in which were two of the crew, was paid out from the vessel to 
their assistance, but the warp proved too short, and the fog became so thick 
that they soon lost sight of each other. They could hear the shouts of 
their companions, but all efforts to reach them proved unavailing. It soon 
commenced raining, and the two men made up their minds to do the best 
they could through the night, in hopes to find their vessel in the morning. 



138 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Fortunately there were three trawl tubs on board, and two of these were 
made fast to the painter of the dory, and did most excellent service as 
drogues, keeping her head to the sea. The night passed drearily, and they 
were glad enough when morning dawned ; but the fog still continued to en- 
velop them, and they concluded to row to the westward. It cleared up 
occasionally, but they saw no vessel, and night came on again. The next 
day was also foggy, and they laid to the drogue all day, drifting to the east- 
ward. Took watch and watch this night, in hopes to catch a glimpse of 
some light from a passing vessel, but their hopes were disappointed. It 
rained during the night, and they were fortunate enough to catch a good 
supply of water in their remaining tub ; of this they drank sparingly, and it 
served to appease the fearful pangs of thirst and hunger. On the third day 
they rowed to the northwest in hopes to get into the track of the steamers. 
The fog still continued, and no vessel was seen, and they passed another 
night in suspense. The men were by this time getting discouraged, more 
especially Mr. Austin, who had contracted a severe cold the first night out, 
and was troubled with such severe shaking of his limbs that he could not 
sleep. The morning of the fourth day was clear, and it' continued moderate 
through the day. This gave them courage, and although quite weak, they 
rowed to the westward, keeping an anxious lookout for some welcome sail, 
and doing their best to keep up each other's courage. A shark came along- 
side during the day, and they endeavored to catch him, as they would 
gladly have partaken of anything eatable, but were unsuccessful. When 
the sun went down that night, the poor fellows felt their hearts sink within 
them, and they thought their chances of being picked up were rather slim. 
Roberts was enabled to pass some of the weary hours in sleep, but this boon, 
for the most part, was denied his companion. The fifth day was foggy, and 
they rowed a couple of hours, but felt so used up that they gave up pulling, 
and another dreary night dragged its slow hours along. The sixth day they 
let the dory drift. Saw the sun once or twice, but no signs of any vessel ; 
and the night shut down again, bringing sad forebodings. The seventh 
day was foggy, yet, strange to say, their courage again revived. They had 
drank sparingly of the water, and it seemed to satisfy the hungry feeling to 
a great extent, and rowing some three miles to the northward, they put the 
tubs out and let the dory drift. 

Their longings to be rescued from that open boat can be imagined but 
not described. The sun went down for the eighth time, and still no signs 
of relief. They watched eagerly through the early evening hours, and knew 
full well they could not hold out a great while longer. They talked of their 
chances as men will talk when in the face of a common danger, and both 
were of opinion that they could not survive another twenty-four hours. 
They then lay down, and both men, in the silent depths of their hearts, 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 139 

prayed most fervently that they might be picked up before morning. Soon 
after, Roberts thought he heard the noise of a steamer, and raised his head 
above the side of the dory. Joy unspeakable ! there were a steamer's lights 
not fifty yards distant. The dory had been seen from her deck, and the 
shouts of the men were soon answered. Roberts was enabled to get on 
board without help, but it required the assistance of two of the steamer's 
crew to get Austin on board. It proved to be the ocean steamer Greece, 
and the men were kindly cared for by her captain and officers, and by care- 
ful nursing were well nigh recovered upon her arrival in New York. Upon 
leaving the steamer the men were presented with twenty dollars each, a gift 
from her officers and passengers. 

A very singular circumstance connected with this affair is, that at nine 
o'clock that evening the Captain of the steamer altered his course half a 
point to the northward. If he had not done so, he would have gone so far 
to the southward as not to have seen the dory, and in all probability the 
two men would have perished. A kind Providence had ordered it other- 
wise, their prayers were heard, and from the dangers which surrounded 
them they were returned to their friends. 

Remarkable Circumstances. — In July, 1873, John Como, one of the 
crew of sch. Magic of this port, caught a small halibut on the Bank, on 
which he took a notion to cut his initials, and threw the fish overboard, not 
expecting to see him again. In 1874 he shipped in sch. Mary E. Daniels, 
and while hauling his trawl on Grand Bank, discovered, to his great sur- 
prise, the identical halibut he had marked some eight months before. The 
halibut was on exhibition at the wharf of the New England Fish Company. 
The initials were plainly discernible, although the fish had grown consider- 
ably since they were cut. This is no fish story, but a veritable fact, and 
the circumstance is certainly a most remarkable one. 

Among the halibut landed by sch. Chester R. Lawrence, in May, 1875, was 
one with the name "Lynch" cut thereon. The halibut had grown consid- 
erably since the carving operation, which from the appearance of the scars 
had been done about a year. The letters were some six inches in length 
and very clearly defined. 

In February, 1876, while dressing fish at the Gloucester Fish Company's 
wharf, a plain gold ring was taken from the paunch of a codfish. It was 
brought to the "Cape Ann Advertiser" sanctum by Mr. William E. Ansell, 
and had the appearance of having been in the keeping of the fish for some 
time. The mark 18 K, signifying the quality of the gold, was plainly dis- 
cernible on the inside of the ring. The query is, how came the fish in pos- 
session of it, and who was the owner ? 

In March, 1877, George Harvey, one of the crew of sch. Rebecca Bartlett 



i 4 o FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

of this port, on her trip to Georges, hauled up a codfish, which upon being 
dressed, there was found in the paunch a wallet in a fair state of preserva- 
tion. Unfortunately for the fisherman, there was no money in it ; but there 
was an old letter and a horse car ticket. The writing on the letter was so 
badly obliterated that it could not be read, therefore no clue as to the owner 
of the wallet could be obtained. 

In January, 1880, sch. Bessie W. Somes, Capt. Hodgdon, from the Banks, 
brought in a twenty-pound halibut, in the skin of which were plainly visible 
the initials and date, "W. E. McD., 1877." It is supposed that when a 
young fellow he visited the sch. William E. McDonald, and was set at lib- 
erty bearing the above inscription. 

Getting a Trip Under Difficulties. — Sch. Knight Templar, Capt. 
Michael McDonald, which arrived from Grand Bank Feb. 20, 1874, had a 
tough time of it ; but the plucky captain was determined to get a trip, and 
he did so, bringing in 40,000 pounds of halibut, which stocked $4,000. He 
left port Jan. 10 and arrived on Western Bank the 13th, where they encoun- 
tered a severe gale and broke the main-boom. Finding fish scarce, he de- 
termined to go to the Grand Bank. Most of the crew didn't relish sailing 
a thousand miles from home with a broken main-boom ; but the captain was 
inflexible, and they started with a ten-knot breeze, under a foresail only. 
On the passage the foresail jibed over, breaking the gaff. Arriving on the 
Bank the 20th, they set their trawls. A severe gale came on in the night, 
when the vessel shipped a sea and smashed all the dories. This was another 
stroke of ill luck, as what was the use of the trawls without any dories in 
which to get them ? Capt. McDonald, however, was not the man to be dis- 
heartened. He had come for a trip of fish, and a trip he was going to 
have, if within the power of mortal man to get it. Taking the remains of 
one of the dories he used it to repair the others. Unfortunately he had no 
nails suitable for the work ; but this difficulty was obviated by heating some 
board nails, thereby rendering them pliable. It blew a living gale of wind 
most of the time ; but during the lulls of fifteen days there were opportuni- 
ties to set the trawls several times, and this gave him his trip. 

After hauling up the anchors to start for home, having no immediate use 
for the stocks, he sawed them in two, using them to "fish" the main-boom, 
and was thus enabled to carry the mainsail when needed. On the 10th of 
February, while off the Gulf of St. Lawrence, just to the eastward of Sable 
Island, they were struck by a hurricane, shipping a sea, which again smashed 
the dories and threatened to swamp the vessel ; but she came out of it 
handsomely and brought her plucky captain and crew safe to port. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 141 

A Plucky Little Captain Gets Fifteen Hundred Dollars Sal- 
vage! — On the afternoon of June 12, 1875, sch. Addison Center was run 
down while at anchor on Cashes, during a thick fog, by brig Sarah M. Lor- 
ing of Yarmouth, N. S. She struck her with great force, pressing her under 
water, and the crew naturally supposing that she was sinking, lost no time 
in getting on board the brig, and were carried into Portland. She was 
boarded by a number of vessels, the masters of which considered it impos- 
sible to get her into port. And they were not to blame for so thinking, as 
she had a big hole in her stern, through which the water was making rap- 
idly, and it was apparent that she would soon go down. 

On Monday, 14th inst., she was sighted by Capt. George Whitmore of 
sch. Ellen of Ellsworth, Me., bound for Boston. He had as crew two boys 
only. Letting his own vessel drift, they boarded the Center in their boat, 
and he conceived the idea of saving her. It was then two o'clock in the 
afternoon, and he immediately commenced operations. Cutting a large 
piece of duck out of the mainsail, he contrived, by dint of much ingenuity, to 
nail it over the hole. To do this required considerable exertion, especially 
the nailing under water ; but he stuck to the job with a tenacity which knew 
no such word as fail, and after several hours of unremitting exertion, which 
will be understood by any one knowing the nature of such a task, he had 
the satisfaction of seeing it accomplished. Getting sail on her, he went on 
board his own vessel and gave instructions to the two lads how to run for 
Portland, and then returned alone to the Center. Giving the vessel a heel, 
so as to relieve the damaged part as much as possible, he cut the cable and 
shaped his course for Portland, followed by the Ellen. A fine little breeze 
sprang up, and the water in the vessel rushing forward brought the stern 
out of the water, which effectually prevented her taking in any more. This 
operated much in his favor, as she was then two-thirds full of water, and 
unless the leak had been stopped, she would have kept afloat but a short 
time longer. Pie ran all night, and reached port Wednesday noon. 

Mr. Horatio Babson, one of the owners of the Center, upon hearing of her 
arrival, immediately went to Portland, and at once acceded to Capt. Whit- 
more's demand of $1,500 salvage, in behalf of the Gloucester Fishing Insur- 
ance Company of this city, and the Naumkeag office of Salem, at which 
the vessel was insured. It was a plucky job throughout. 

Mysterious Loss of Two of the Crew of Sch. Frederic Gerring, 
Jr. — Two of the crew of sch. Frederic Gerring, Jr. — Capt. Edward Morris — 
William Norton and Albert Sulkey, left the vessel in their dory on the af- 
ternoon of Monday, Feb. 28, 1876, for the purpose of hauling their trawls. 
It was very moderate at the time, and others of the crew also left in dories 
for the same purpose. After they had been absent some twenty minutes, 



1 42 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Capt. Morris, as is his custom, keeping watch of the dories, saw that the 
one in which Norton and Sulkey were seemed to be drifting, without any 
effort being made to reach the buoy, whither she was bound. Soon he saw 
one of the other dories pulling for her with all speed, and then he supposed 
that something was wrong. The other dory in due time reached the vessel, 
having in tow the drifting dory, and reported they had found her adrift and 
neither of the men were on board. The trawl gear was in the dory the 
same as when they started, she had shipped no water, and the cause of the 
drowning of the men was a mystery which could not be solved. One pair 
of oars was picked up in the water. This indeed is a very mysterious af- 
fair and without precedent, and no theory has ever yet been offered which 
throws any light thereon. They were both good friends, and were spoken 
of as first-class fishermen, Norton having been with Capt. Morris for four 
years. There was no squall to throw them out of the dory. The only sup- 
position which has any feasibility is, that one of them accidentally fell over- 
board, and the other in attempting to save him lost his life, both going down 
together. They were both married men, about thirty years of age, and res- 
idents of this city. 

Twenty-four Days in the Ice. — Schs. Hereward, Pennington, and Rat- 
tler, McPherson, which left this port for Newfoundland for a load of frozen 
herring in December, 1875, got frozen in while on the homeward passage, 
Feb. 9, 1876, in Fortune Bay, and there remained eleven days. Got clear 
the 19th and went into the ice again the same day and remained there until 
March 3. Schs. S. C. Noyes, Hatfield, of Newburyport, and Charles A. 
Ropes of Camden, Me., were also in the same predicament. Capt. Penning- 
ton made a drawing of the scene, in which the four vessels are visible locked 
in the ice, and the crews of the Hereward and Rattler busily engaged in 
getting some provisions from the S. C. Noyes, which lay at a distance of 
three miles. The ice was so rough that they were obliged to carry the flour 
in bags, and the men with these bags on their backs, and the captain with 
the empty barrel to put it in when it reached the vessel, made a lively scene. 
It was a tedious experience for all hands, and glad enough were they to get 
clear of their icy bonds. Fortunate it was that the Noyes could supply them 
with flour, otherwise the men would have suffered for this necessary of life. 

Men Picked Up. — A Tough Time of It. — Sch. Cornelius Stokem, which 
arrived at this port May 23, 1876, from Newfoundland, brought in two 
Frenchmen, John Bouche and Adolph Crochu, who were picked up in a 
dory in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the 16th inst. They were lost from 
their vessel on Banquereau while attending their trawls, and exposed to a 
violent gale, the sea breaking over them and the weather being very cold, 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 143 

enveloping them in ice. For seven days they were exposed to the severity 
of the weather, without food or drink, and when taken off were both in an 
exhausted condition and near the gates of death from hunger and exposure. 
One of the men was badly frozen, but both recovered from the effects of 
their exposure. 

Lost in the Fog. — Eight Days without Food or Water. — During the 
years 1875 and 1876 there were numerous cases of fishermen getting sepa- 
rated from their vessels in consequence of thick fog setting in while at their 
trawls, most of whom were picked up within a day or two, before they had 
suffered greatly from hunger or thirst. In one instance two men were out 
six days before they were rescued, Patrick O'Neil and Frank Miller of sell. 
Tubal Cain of this port, in October, 1875 > b ut never have we recorded an 
instance where men have been eight days without food or water, as was the 
case of Capt. William Hines and John Foster, of sch. Eben B. Phillips of 
this port, the particulars of which are as follows : 

On the 18th of May, 1876, the two men left their vessel on Grand Bank 
early in the morning, to haul their trawl. It was not very thick at the time, 
but shortly after a dense fog shut in, and they were unable to find their way 
back. They drifted around all that day and night, occasionally rowing a 
little, but did not succeed in finding any traces of the schooner. On the 
following clay the fog continued as thick as ever, and Capt. Hines thinking 
the vessel might be found by steering in a westerly course, headed their dory 
in that direction ; but instead of going toward land they only got farther 
out to sea. For seven days and nights they continued to drift and row at 
intervals, the fog continuing very dense. Their sufferings for want of food 
and drink were most excruciating, and being thinly clothed they suffered 
considerably from the chilly wind which swept over them most of the time. 
On the morning of the eighth day the fog lifted, and much to the joy of the 
famishing men, who had now scarcely strength to move, they discovered a 
bark in the distance. Both were so weak that they could hardly do any- 
thing to attract attention except by rapping on the gunwale of the dory. 
Knowing that it was their last hope of safety, they roused themselves to 
renewed effort, took to their oars, and after rowing a couple of hours, were 
discovered by those on board the bark, which hove to, and about half-past 
eleven that night they came up with her. She proved to be the Norwegian 
bark Collector, Capt. Holstein, bound for the Provinces. Capt. Hines was 
able to get on board the vessel without assistance, but Foster was perfectly 
helpless and had to be lifted on board. They received the kindest treat- 
ment from the captain and crew, and by careful nursing soon began to re- 
cuperate. They had drifted one hundred and sixty miles from the Bank 
when rescued. The bark arrived at Dalhousie on the the 5th of June, and 



144 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



on the following day the men were taken ashore and sent to St. John by the 
Norwegian consul at that place, he kindly paying their expenses. After 
stopping in St. John a few days with some of their friends, they were pro- 
vided with free passes for Boston and arrived home in due season ; and in 
time both men recovered from the terrible effects of their protracted expos- 
ure, which came so near causing them to die of starvation on the water — a 
fate which one fairly shudders to contemplate. 



----- ..:- vb 



=r^ 




Terrible Disaster. — Loss of Sch. Kittie of Port Mulgrave, N. S., with 
Sixty-three Passengers Bound to This City to Engage in the Fisheries — Narrow 
Escape of Three Persons Who Were an Hour Late. — Sch. Kittie, commanded 
by Capt. James Forrestall, her owner, left Port Mulgrave Sunday, April 2, 
1876, bound for Boston, and there is no doubt but that she foundered in the 
severe gale of the 4th inst., carrying with her sixty-three persons belonging 
in Port Mulgrave and vicinity, but who were identified with Gloucester, as 
they followed fishing from this port during six months of the year, and had 
many relatives and friends in this city who were anxiously expecting their 
arrival. The following is the list of the passengers, as nearly as could be 
obtained : 

From Harbor Bouche — John Levangy, Hubert Levangy, Edward Decost, 
Frederick Levangy, Ben. Fougere, Michael Pebrine, Henry Benoit, John 
Paro, Jerry Fougere, Lucian Levangy, E. Fougere, (Jack's son) John King, 
(Pete's son) L. Fougere, Edward Decost, (Widow Tom's son) Jos. Decost, 
David Levangy, Ned Bouchy, Ben. Brean,Ben. Belfountain, Lewis Bouchy, 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 145 

Jeffrey Bouchy, Michael Oldfield, Wm. Oldfield, Fougere, (Ephraim's son), 
Daniel McDonald (Allan's son), Mrs. John O'Brien and three children, Sa- 
rah McDonald, (Allan's daughter) Augusta Fougere, John McDonald (Allan 
John's son), Rory McDonald (Donald's son, lighthouse), Wm. Forrestall 
(William's son). 

From Steep Creek — Martin Doyle, N. Decost, Jos. Decost, Wm. Critten- 
den, (Hugh's son) John D. Whelan. 

From Pirate Harbor — William Maguire. 

From Port Mulgrave — Wm. Crittenden, Edward Ryan, Rory McDonald, 
George Longuill, Tames Perkins, Alex. Perkins, J. O'Handley, Peter For- 
estall, Arch. McDonald. 

From Cape Breton — Roderick McDonald, McMillan's Point; John Mc- 
Eachren, Glendale ; John McDonald, do.; Daniel McDonald, McMillan's 
Point ; James McDonald, Whycocomagh ; John O'Handley, Judique ; Alex. 
McDonald, do. ; Rupert G. Ross, Port Hood ; Wm. Johnson, do.; Alex. 
Mclnnis, near Hawkesbury; John Cass, do.; John McDonald, Keeper, Ju- 
dique ; John D. McKinnon, do.; Daniel McEachren, Judique ; Henry Simp- 
son, Manchester. 

The crew consisted of Capt. James Forrestall, Capt. John Martin, James 
Martin, Daniel McDonald. 

The sch. Kittie was built in Lunenberg, and was owned by Capt. James 
Forrestall of Auld's Cove, Strait of Canso, and was about ten years old. 
The above list is as correct as can possibly be got ; there may be one or 
two that have not been obtained. The total, including passengers and 
crew, was sixty-eight. 

There were three persons, viz., William McDonald and Neil McDonald, 
brothers, and Angus McDonald, who were coming on this vessel, but were 
an hour late, the vessel having sailed. All their clothing was on board, and 
they came by land. Their being behindhand on this occasion was the 
means of preserving their lives. 

A Remarkable Experience and Narrow Escape. — The crew of the 
sch. Daniel A. Burnham of this port, had a singular and wonderful experi- 
ence. While lying to off Sable Island on the evening of Jan. 10, 1877, the 
schooner was struck by a heavy sea, which turned her completely over, the 
masts giving way while she was under water. Of her crew of thirteen men 
all but one were below when the vessel capsized; and the rapidity of the 
entire transaction, which did not allow time for the vessel to fill, proved 
their salvation. They were thrown from the floor to the ceiling, when the 
schooner was bottom up, and immediately to the floor again, as she righted. 
On coming on deck, the man who had been on the lookout was found hang- 
ing over the side by a portion of the gear, and was speedily hauled on 



146 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

board. The crew remained on the wreck, on which they got some small 
canvas, and were heading for the land as best they could, when fortunately 
they encountered the mail steamer Austrian, who took them off and landed 
them at St. Johns, N. F. 

Narrow Escape. — Two Fishermen Capsized in a Dory — Caught by a 
Trawl Hook — Fortunate Rescue. — Two of the crew of sch. Centennial, Peter 
Scanlan and George Stickling, were capsized in a dory on the fishing grounds, 
May 21, 1877, and had a narrow escape from a watery grave. They had 
completed the hauling of their trawls and were ready to return to the vessel, 
when a sea boarded and sunk the dory, but she soon capsized and came up 
again, and the men succeeded in getting hold of her, Scanlan at the bow 
and Stickling at the stern. In going over, the hook of one of the trawls 
caught in the leg of Stickling, and he was compelled to bear his own weight 
and that of the trawl, which he was enabled to do by fortunately securing a 
foothold in the stern becket of the dory. But the combined weight of man 
and line kept the unfortunate man nearly under water the greater part of 
the time, and his position was one of extreme discomfort and peril. Scan- 
lan was more fortunately situated, having no encumbrance exept his cloth- 
ing, and the forward part of the frail craft was kept well out of water by 
the weight at the stern ; yet his position was far from enviable, clinging to 
an overturned dory upon a wide expanse of surging waters. After being 
thus exposed for about a quarter of an hour, they were discovered by the 
men in another dory, who were returning to the vessel, who at once went to 
their rescue. Stickling was nearly exhausted, and in pulling him in, the 
hook was broken off in his leg, and on reaching the vessel it was found nec- 
essary to cut it out, making an ugly wound. He must have been possessed 
of remarkable powers of endurance to maintain the position until assistance 
arrived, and his escape from death may well be considered as very narrow. 

A Six Ton Boat Drags Her Anchor off Salt Island, and Her 
Crew to Keep Afloat Pound Ice All Night. — A Tough Time and Nar- 
row Escape. — Jan. 23, 1878, will be remembered by a terrible squall, quickly 
followed by intense cold and a heavy northwest gale. Just previous to the 
squall, the little boat Hope of this port, a trifle short of six tons burthen, was 
to the southward of Brown's Bank, some eight miles off the Cape. She was 
commanded by Capt. Anthony T. Francis, and there was a crew of two 
men, John Conley and Joseph Adams, making three in all. The men had 
just been picking their trawls and had a dory load of fish and trawl lines, 
and seeing the squall coming, made all possible haste to get on board the 
boat. This they succeeded in doing just in time ; but it was so rough that 
the dory collided with the boat, knocking off a piece of her rail, and came 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 147 

near staving a hole through her. Finding they could not tow the heavily 
laden dory, they were obliged to cut her adrift and she soon capsized, and 
dory and contents proved a total loss. The squall had by this time come 
upon them in all its fury j but the little craft behaved well, and they got 
her up under the lee of Salt Island and came to anchor; but the anchor 
would not hold and commenced dragging, carrying them off to sea. After 
dragging some four miles it finally held ; but it was so rough, and the wind 
ahead, that they dared not attempt to get underway, so they hung to it, de- 
termined to take their chances. The cold was so intense that the water 
shipped on deck froze almost as soon as it struck, threatening to sink the 
little craft, and this danger was most to be dreaded. When men's lives are 
in the balance, however, they will accomplish almost incredible tasks, and 
so it proved in the case of these poor fellows. Notwithstanding the cold 
winds, which pierced them like a knife, notwithstanding the showers of freez- 
ing cold spray which constantly broke over them, there they stood at their 
posts, beating ice the livelong night — a night which none of them will ever 
forget — and by their almost superhuman efforts they kept their little craft 
afloat, and the next afternoon brought her safely into port. 

A Perilous Time. — Friday afternoon, Jan. 4, 1878, two young men of 
Riverdale named George Stanwood, Jr., and Fred A. Lewis, went out fish- 
ing in Ipswich Bay in a dory, and at noon time, just before the storm came 
on, started to pull in. The snowstorm came down upon them so thick that 
they could not see, and to their best judgment they pulled for Annisquam 
light. It was a tough pull, and to add to their perils their dory sprang 
aleak, requiring the utmost exertions of one of the men to keep her free 
with a bucket, while the other pulled. Thus passed the afternoon until five 
o'clock, when the dory drove ashore on Coffin's Beach, just this side of the 
Loaf, where she was dashed in pieces, the men, wet and well nigh exhausted, 
succeeding in making a landing through the surf. They then dragged 
themselves along as best they could to the house of Mr. Gardner W. Her- 
rick, where they were kindly received, their wants attended to, and hospita- 
bly entertained for the night. In the meantime their friends at home were 
fearful that they were lost. This anxiety was dispelled in the morning when 
a messenger was dispatched, assuring the anxious friends of their safety. 

Loss of a Boston Fishing Schooner. — Sch. Little Kate of South Bos- 
ton, 32.69 tons, formerly of this port, engaged in the haddock fishery, went 
ashore off Duxbury in the gale of Thursday, Jan. 10, 1878, and became a 
total loss. Of her crew of thirteen men not one escaped. All were resi- 
dents of South Boston, all related by blood or marriage, four being brothers. 
Seven of them were married, leaving that number of widows and twenty-one 



148 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



fatherless children as the fruits of this sad disaster. The father of the four 
brothers mentioned, an aged man named Owen Hines, was indeed terribly 
afflicted. His wife died five weeks previous, and only one crippled son was 
left him of a family which a few days before was full of health and promise. 
The vessel, too, was his, and all the property he possessed was bound up in 
her. A short time previous he was offered $1,500 for the schooner, but as it 
furnished a means of livelihood to his family as well as to himself, he refused 
to part with it. There was no insurance on the vessel, consequently what 
represented the savings of a lifetime disappeared in a moment, and with it 
went every one whose strong hands should have supported the old man's 
trembling steps toward the grave. 




The Storm off Cape Cod. — Five Vessels Wrecked — Terrible Sufferings 
of the Men on the Powwow — Thrilling Scenes of Death — How the Survivors 
were Rescued. — The night of the 2d and the morning of the 3d of January, 
1878, were terrible for those unlucky mariners who found themselves in a 
snowstorm, being driven on the treacherous sands of Cape Cod. Five ves- 
sels were lost. From the largest two not a soul was saved ; every man, 
from the captains down to the deck boys, was buried beneath the cold 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 149 

waters. A few bodies were recovered, but the majority sleep in watery 
graves. 

The sufferings of the crew of the ill-fated Powivow of Provincetown were 
frightful. The hour of 4 A. M. found them drifting helplessly to the lee 
shore of Wellfleet. With the hope of checking their drift they anchored, 
but the chain of their larger anchor parted and the vessel dragged the 
smaller one as if it had been a pound weight. Then, as the tempest lulled, 
"Hoist the jib," shouted the captain, "and we'll run her through the surf." 
With great difficulty the sail was partially hoisted and the vessel's head 
swung towards the land. But alas ! she struck in the outer breakers. The 
great billows broke over her and in an instant she filled. A signal of dis- 
tress was lighted, but was soon extinguished. "Set the kerosene afire," 
ordered Capt. Caton; "we must let the station men know we are here." 
This was done. Thank heaven, an answering signal was heard, and in the 
course of a half hour they discerned a horse and cart moving towards them 
along the beach, bearing a large box containing the patent rescue gun. A 
long hour crept by, but there came no other signs of succor. Their hopes 
fell. So cold were they that it was with difficulty they clung to the rigging. 
Drenched every moment with icy water, they were soon benumbed. One 
huge fellow, with the muscles of a Hercules, was three times washed away 
from the vessel. Twice he regained his hold, but the third time his strength 
failed, and he sank to rise no more. As the dreary morning passed two 
others gave up the struggle, and releasing their grasp, were swept away. 
One poor boy, named James Downling. whose home was in Boston, suc- 
cumbed to the cold. "I can't stand it any longer, Captain," said he, "I 
am going to die." When last seen by the survivors he was lying in the lee 
scuppers, his head hanging listlessly to one side, his hair matted with ice, 
and his arms clutching in their death-grip a coil of frozen rope. And at 
last the captain whispered hoarsely, "Good-bye, boys, I shall try for the 
shore. May God keep me for my poor wife's sake." A dory was got over 
the side, but was crushed in an instant. Capt. Caton then tore off the cabin 
skylight, and heaving it overboard, sprang after it. His support was soon 
wrenched from his grasp, but he struggled manfully. He reached the shore ; 
twice he stood erect on the sand, but the undertow was too powerful, and 
he was drawn under the surf. The ten men who remained on the vessel 
were destined to be saved. After daylight the Life Saving Station men, who 
had previously been devoting their energies to the vain attempt of rescuing 
the crew of the other wreck, arrived. The first time they fired the mortar 
the ball with the line attached fell over the spring-stay, but the men were so 
chilled with cold that it was impossible to get it. After several trials, how- 
ever, the line fell where they could reach it. At 10 A. M. they were all 
ashore and were tenderly cared for at the Humane House. 



iS° 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



Perilous Experiences. — Allen Maginnis, of sch. Centennial, was drowned 
by the capsizing of a dory on Grand Bank, Jan. 20, 1878. His companion 
in the dory, John McLeod, succeeded in getting on the bottom of the frail 
craft, but this afforded a very insecure hold, and while all the other dories 
belonging to the vessel were provided with beckets fastened to the plugs 
for cases of such emergency, this particular one was not thus furnished. 
McLeod retained his hold as best he could, being sometimes washed off, 
until seeing a halibut-killer afloat a short distance away, he swam off and 
secured it, and pounding out the plug, was able to thrust one of his fingers 
through the hole in the bottom of the dory, and thus maintain his hold. In 
this manner, changing from one finger to another, he held his own with 
great difficulty for about two hours, when his cries were heard by some com- 
panions in another dory, who rowed to his assistance and took him off in an 
exhausted condition. Several of his fingers were badly chafed, and it is 
doubtful if he could have held on much longer. 

Nov. 6, 1878, Thomas King and Charles Hubbley, of sch. Annie C. Nor- 
wood, on an off-shore codfishing trip, were out in their dories, when a squall 
came on and the dory capsized so suddenly as to throw them ten feet from 
her. They managed to swim to the overturned dory and to get upon her 
bottom, but King was greatly exhausted and soon succumbed. Hubbley 
succeeded in maintaining his position by getting a finger in the plug-hole, 
holding on for two hours, until his finger was nearly cut off, when he was 
taken off by sch. Rutherford B. Hayes, greatly exhausted. 

Lost and Found. — A Happy Surprise. — Alexander McEachen and Au- 
gustus Armstrong, two of the crew of sch. Mary F. Chisholni of this port, 
left that vessel during a fog, May 9, 1878, to attend to their trawls on West- 
ern Bank. They got out of hearing of the fog-horn and were unable to find 
their vessel. After rowing for twenty-four hours they fell in with a French 
fishing vessel and were taken on board, where they remained two days'. 
They were subsequently transferred to sch. Viking, and arrived home the 
day before the Chisholni, and were the first to hail that vessel as she came 
up the harbor with her flag at half-mast in token of their loss. The flag 
was speedily flying from the mast-head in rejoicing at their deliverance, and 
their shipmates congratulated them heartily on their fortunate escape. 

A Hard Pull in a Dory. — Two of the crew of sch. Ida A. Thurlow 
of Eastport, Me., named Alex. S. Morise and Thomas T. Goodwin, were 
lost from that vessel in May, 1878, while attending to their trawls in a dory, 
and after an exposure of eighty-two hours, without compass, food or water, 
by making a perilous voyage of one hundred and twenty miles, succeeded 
in landing, through fearful breakers, forty-five miles east of Halifax. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 151 

A Perilous Night. — Friday, Jan. 4, 1878, a severe storm came on dur- 
ing the afternoon, and most of the Lanesville dory fleet arrived in ere it 
became very severe. At sundown there was great anxiety felt for the safety 
of Sylvanus C. Lane and Lorenzo Griffin, who had not arrived. Sad were 
the hearts on the shore as the cold wind blew its fitful blasts and the blind- 
ing snowstorm raged in all its fury. It was a tough night to be exposed in 
an open dory on the rough waters of Ipswich Bay, and so these fishermen 
found it. They could not make any headway to the port which they wished 
to gain, so they drifted to leeward, having hard work to keep their craft 
afloat. Soon they heard the breakers on the beach toward Ipswich, and 
their only chance was to throw their anchor, and it held them in eight fath- 
oms of water. There they waited for the wind to change, knowing full well 
their fate if the anchor parted. It did not part, although several times they 
shipped heavy seas, nearly filling their dory with water, which they bailed 
out with a bucket. Fortunately the wind changed, and the worn out fisher- 
men rowed home, arriving at midnight, where they were received by their 
loved ones with thankful hearts. 

A Rough Experience. — Feb. 28, 1879, sch. Alfred Walen, Capt. Patrick 
O'Neal, was coming home from Brown's Bank, and while reefing the main- 
sail, the vessel took a roll to windward, and one of the crew, Richard Cos- 
tillo, who was on the end of the boom, lost his balance and went overboard. 
After making four attempts to catch the log line he succeeded in grasping 
it. The vessel was going nine miles an hour, with a heavy sea running, and 
he was dragged under water. The vessel was put up in the wind, and the 
unfortunate man was some three hundred feet off, still clinging for dear life 
to the log line, and swashed up and down by the heavy seas, rendering his 
position extremely dangerous. He felt the pulling of the men on the line, 
the force of which pulled him under water, and he could not remain on the 
surface. He was hauled, as near as he could judge, some sixty feet, when 
he gave up all hopes of being saved, as he did not come to the surface un- 
til he was hauled under the quarter of the vessel, when the men got into a 
dory, and getting a rope about him, got him on board the vessel, where, 
after long and repeated efforts, they succeeded in resuscitating him. He 
never has recovered from his fearful experience, having raised a great deal 
of blood, and has not been able to do much work since. 

An Unfortunate Skipper. — The captain and owner of a small schooner 
at Portland had hard luck of it. He had fished on Georges seventeen years, 
and in the Spring of 1880 concluded he would sell his little home in Glouc- 
ester, pay off the mortgage and with the proceeds go to Boothbay and live 
quietly. Afterwards, in Gloucester, he accidentally lost his right index fin- 



152 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

ger. He lifted the mortgage by selling his house, and had $233.50 left. 
This money he put in an envelope, and the envelope in an inside pocket. 
He set sail for Boothbay with his family in his vessel, and on Saturday, 
Sept. 3, when off Cape Elizabeth, as he leaned over the rail to pull in a 
rope, the envelope fell from his pocket into the water, and as $1.50 of the 
money was in silver it sank before his eyes. 

At the Mercy of the Seas. — Five Days withoiit Food or Drink. — John 
Whitlaw and Samuel Orgrove, two of the crew of fishing sell. Edward A. 
Horton of this port, left that vessel on Grand Bank, Thursday, July 1, 1880, 
for the purpose of hauling their trawls. After loading their dory they found 
themselves unable to return to their vessel, on account of a heavy fog hav- 
ing shut in, and rowed aimlessly away in the hope of finding succor. After 
undergoing great exposure and hardships, on the following Tuesday they 
effected a landing upon the coast of Newfoundland, greatly reduced and 
almost in a dying condition from their enforced abstinence from food and 
drink. They were kindly treated, and were forwarded to St Johns, N. F., 
where they arrived on the evening of July 9. 

Death from Exposure on the Fishing Grounds. — Sch. Polar Wave, 
Capt. Jerome McDonald, was on Banquereau, March 24th, 1880, when the 
wind suddenly shifted and it set in extremely cold while six of her dories 
were out. The vessel got underway and found five of the dories without 
difficulty, but the other, containing George Nelson and Charles Ray, re- 
mained undiscovered until morning. These men had hauled up and rowed 
away from the vessel instead of towards her. They soon discovered their 
mistake, as a strong light was set in the rigging of the vessel, and they re- 
mained within sight of it all night. They threw overboard their fish and 
gear, but were unable to make headway against the wind and sea to the 
vessel. The next day they were seen by the crew, who went to their suc- 
cor. When found at three o'clock, P. M., Nelson was dead, having died 
from the exposure at about nine, A. M. He was an Austrian, a native of 
Tricate, about twenty-three years of age, and had followed fishing from this 
port for some time. He was buried at sea March 30. He was spoken of 
as of a very delicate constitution, weighing about one hundred and ten 
pounds, and notwithstanding the continued cheering up and entreaties by 
his companion, to continue rowing, and they would surely be saved, the 
poor fellow was so utterly exhausted that he could not make further efforts 
and succumbed to the terrible cold and exposure. 

A Caution Which Should Be Heeded. — If the fishermen would only 
take the precaution to place a jug of water and some hard bread in their 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 153 

dories, it would oftentimes save much suffering and perhaps life. It is full 
time that masters and owners of fishing vessels interested themselves in this 
matter and insisted that it should be done. The expense and trouble is but 
trifling compared with the benefits which might follow, and it should be 
among the duties required of fishermen each trip to see that every dory was 
provided with the wherewithal to sustain life when lost in the fog or driven 
out of sight of their vessel, as is frequently the case. There is no excuse 
for the fishermen if they fail to comply with this simple duty, and we trust 
that they will heed this advice and provide a remedy for one cause of dan- 
ger and suffering attending the business. 

Five Days Adrift in a Dory Without Food. — James McGrath and 
Michael Coleman left sch. Procter Brothers on Western Bank, March 18, 
1880, to attend to their trawls, and a gale springing up, were unable to re- 
turn to the vessel. After drifting about at the mercy of the wind and waves 
for five days, without food or water, drove ashore at Sable Island on the 
evening of the 22d. The weather was intensely cold and their sufferings 
extreme while they were in the dory, and McGrath had both feet badly 
frozen. When taken out of the dory they were unable to walk, and had to 
be carried on the shoulders of the men stationed on the island to aid wrecked 
people. They were taken to the hospital, and being sufficiently recovered, 
were taken to Halifax by the Dominion Government steamer Newfield. 

The Colemans, as it would appear, were not born to be drowned. On 
Feb. 15, 1879, Charles Coleman was capsized on the Banks in a dory from 
sch. Commonwealth, and with his companion, Sweeny McKenzie, clung to 
the dory's bottom for an hour and a half with such desperation as to leave 
the imprints of their fingers in the wood. Coleman slipped from his hold 
three times, and three times his comrade battled the waves to rescue him, 
and he was so exhausted when taken on board the vessel that it took three 
hours to bring him to consciousness. Michael Coleman, whose second nar- 
row escape is narrated above, was lost in a dory with H. Choate Allen from 
sch. Addison G. Procter, June 29, 1879, on St. Peter's Bank, and after sub- 
sisting on small pieces of raw halibut for four days, and rowing one hundred 
and sixty miles, they were picked up by a Lockeport, N. S., schooner. 

Shipwreck and Loss of Life. — Gallant Rescue by a Gloucester Pishing 
Ciew. — Sch. Laura Sayward, Capt. James Moore, arrived from a Georges 
trip Sept. 14, 1880, bringing the captain, John C. Winchester, and mate, 
Thomas Lewis, of sch. Maggie Blanche, of Digby, N. S., for Barbadoes with 
a load of lumber and potatoes, being accompanied by the owner of the ves- 
sel, Mr. Wesley K. Rice, who designed selling the vessel on her arrival at 
the West Indies. The Maggie Blanche set sail Sunday, Sept. 5, and every- 



154 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

thing went well until Wednesday, the 8th, at about ten o'clock, A. M., when 
she encountered a strong gale from the east-southeast with a heavy sea, ac- 
companied by rain and squalls. During the gale the schooner was hove on 
her beam ends, shifting the cargo in her hold, and laid dead in the water 
under a three-reefed foresail. The wind veering to the northeast, causing 
a heavy cross sea, an effort was made to take in the reefed foresail with the 
design of jettisoning the deck load, and while furling the sail a sea ran in 
to leeward and capsized the vessel. About eight o'clock, Thursday morn- 
ing, the cargo having washed out, the mainmast broke off at the deck and 
the vessel righted full of water. The owner, Mr. Rice, was drowned in his 
cabin, his body washing out, and the officers and crew, four in number, 
were confined to the deck, all below being full of water. Two of them, 
William Vroon, one of the crew, and Augustus Theodore (colored), the 
cook, were washed overboard and drowned, and the captain and mate lashed 
themselves to the deck. A brig passed quite near them, and they signalled 
her by every means within their power, but without avail, and she kept on 
her course. On Saturday morning, the nth, about seven o'clock, the wreck 
was descried by sch. Laura Sayward lying at anchor on the northeastern 
part of Georges, and Capt. Moore at once commenced making arrangements 
to go to her assistance. The windlass was manned and an attempt made 
to raise the anchor, but there was a heavy cross sea running, and but little 
progress could be made in that direction. Finding that the wreck was fast 
sinking and that prompt measures must be taken, Capt. Moore ordered his 
cable cut, having a whole string out, and a dory was launched and manned 
by two of the crew, Dean Crockett and James Lord, who went to the wreck 
and took off the suffering men. 

These men, Crockett and Lord, were subsequently the recipients of two 
magnificent stem-winding watches from the Canadian Government, through 
Hon. Edward Thornton, British Minister at Washington, in recognition of 
their humane and gallant exertions in saving life. 

A Tough Experience. — Charles Lunt and Paul Nelson of sch. Waldo 
Irving, haddock catching, off shore, left the vessel Wednesday, Dec. 29, 
1880, to visit their trawls, and were unable afterwards to find trace of the 
vessel, and those on board could not find the men. They started to row 
for the land, but were blown off. Thursday afternoon, about two o'clock, 
after having been exposed in their frail craft to the severe snow squall and 
terrible cold which followed, and when, as near as they could judge, they 
were about thirty-five miles from Boston light, they saw a steamer and rowed 
in her track. It proved to be the ocean steamer Sardinian, on the passage 
from Boston to England, via Halifax. It came alongside the dory, a sailor 
got down and bent a line to each of the men, as they were so exhausted 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 155 

they could not help themselves, and they were hoisted on deck. They were 
so much exhausted from exposure, hard work and want of food, that they 
could have survived but a short time longer. Their hands and feet were 
badly frostbitten and their sufferings indescribable. During the heavy gale 
of Wednesday night they kept their dory's head to the sea by means of a 
drogue made from their fishing tackle and trawl tub. They were taken in 
charge by the American consul at Halifax and sent home. 

Particulars of the Loss of Sch. Lizzie K. Clark. — Sch. Lizzie K. 
Clark, Capt. Ambrose Melanson, left port March 22, 188 1, bound South on 
a mackerel trip, and capsized and sunk about twenty miles southeast of 
Barnegat on the 25th. The weather was rough from the start, but on the 
25th the sea was comparatively calm, and at one o'clock in the afternoon 
all hands except the helmsman were below putting the seines and gear in 
order. The vessel was under full sail and heading west, one-half north, 
when she was suddenly struck by a squall and capsized. Capt. Melanson 
rushed upon deck and hove the wheel down, but she was too far over to 
obey the helm, and he seized an axe and ran forward to cut the fore sheets, 
but being unable to reach them, got into the main rigging and severed the 
halyards. At this time the ice-pens gave way and their contents shifting 
prevented the schooner from righting. Both companion-ways were open, 
and the water rushed down, filling the hold. The crew reached the deck 
with considerable difficulty, and one of their number, Edward Ryan, the 
first to follow Capt. Melanson on deck, was washed overboard. The others 
climbed upon the weather side, and cutting adrift the seine boat, lashed be- 
tween the masts and rigging, got her afloat half filled with water. They 
picked up Ryan, and were scarcely a hundred feet away from the schooner 
when she sank. After floating about for half an hour they were picked up 
by Pilot Boat No. 3. Seven were put on board the tug Knickerbocker and 
taken to New York, and seven were taken to the same port in the brig 
Mary Fink, from Matanzas. 

Picked Up Adrift. — A Humane Shipmaster. — George Strowhan and 
John Kerry, two of the crew of sch. George S. Boutwell, Capt. Gorman, of 
this port, left that vessel on Western Bank to set their trawls, Aug. 1, r88i, 
and were lost in the fog. After being adrift for eighteen hours without food 
or drink, they were picked up by the coal laden steamship Wilton of and for 
Hartlepool, Eng., from Philadelphia. Sighting a vessel in the distance, 
which proved to be the schooner to which they belonged, the captain of the 
steamer went some ten miles out of his course to put them on board, instead 
of taking them across the Atlantic. After the men were picked up there 
was a thick fog for three or four days, and they probably would have per- 
ished but for the timely succor. 



156 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Capsized on the Banks. — Seized by a Shark When Succor Was at Hand. 
— Sch. Victor, Capt. John E. Sigsworth, arrived from a Western Bank trip, 
Aug. 16, 1881, and reported a sad accident on the Banks on the 12th, re- 
sulting in the horrible death of one of her crew, George M. Sigsworth, a 
brother of the skipper. Young Sigsworth and a companion named David 
A. Raymond had been out to set their trawls, and while returning to the 
vessel, a tub in the after part of the dory interfering with their rowing, they 
hauled in their oars to change its position. Just then a heavy sea struck 
and capsized the dory, throwing its occupants into the water. Sigsworth 
kept afloat by means of an oar held under his breast, and the air filling his 
oil jacket, and his companion succeeded in getting upon the bottom of the 
dory and holding on by the stern becket. Sigsworth made his way towards 
the dory, and had just reached out his hand to take that of Raymond, which 
was extended to aid him, when a huge shark made its appearance, and seiz- 
ing the unfortunate man disappeared with its prey, who was not seen again. 
He was a young man of good character, about twenty-seven and a half years 
of age, unmarried, a native of Prince Edward Island, and had followed fish- 
ing from Gloucester for several years. 

Narrow Escape. — Sch. Davy Crockett, while on Cashes, in September, 
188 1, ran over her seine boat containing eleven men, and they had a lively 
time to save themselves. They were overhauling the seine, taking it on 
board the boat, when the cook, who with another man was left on the ves- 
sel, endeavored to bring her alongside the boat, but made a miscalculation 
in "luffing," and she struck the boat amidships. Seven of the men man- 
aged to cling to the boat ; one, Christie Johnson, swam for the dory ; and 
A. G. Eisener, Dighton Simons and Wiley Havener, happened to be good 
swimmers and succeeded in getting hold of the vessel's fenders. 

A Daring Deed. — Two Gloucester Mariners Risk Their Lives to Rescue 
a Comrade.— April 2, 1881, Albert F. Fitch, one of the crew of sch. Star of 
the East, was washed overboard while dressing fish on Brown's Bank. He 
was fortunate in catching hold of a shifting plank which had washed over- 
board, on which he succeeded in keeping afloat for an hour and ten minutes 
before being picked up. It was blowing a heavy gale from the northwest, 
with a strong tide running to leeward, and any attempt to go to his rescue 
was fraught with great peril. But unmindful of the serious risk, Michael 
Doyle and Joseph Hackett jumped into an old dory and started away be- 
fore the wind and sea to rescue their imperilled comrade. After they got 
him on board of their frail boat they found it absolutely impossible to return 
to their vessel, but succeeded in boarding sch. Joseph O., which was also 
lying at anchor on the Bank. It took some three hours of constant labor, 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 157 

aftei arriving on board the Joseph O., to resuscitate Fitch, and the three men 
remained on board the latter vessel from Sunday night until Tuesday after- 
noon, when the Star of the East was signalled, and ran down and took the 
men on board. It was a noble deed, and as such we herewith record it in 
the "Fishermen's Own Book." 

Rescue of a Crew in an Open Boat. — Sch. Thresher, Capt. Andrew 
McKenzie, at this port from the Banks, May 17, 1881, reported on the out- 
ward passage, April 22d, lat. 46.39, Ion. 58.5, falling in with Capt. E. Jeary 
and crew of five men belonging to sch. Flora, of and from St. Pierre. They 
were in an open boat and had been exposed to the elements eight days and 
were on allowance of one biscuit daily each. The Flora was bound to Syd- 
ney for coal, had got caught in the ice, sprung aleak and sunk. Everything 
was clone for the comfort of the sufferers, and they were landed at St. Pierre. 
Capt. Jeary testified his appreciation of the kind treatment received by 
giving Capt. McKenzie a written acknowledgment of the same, expressing 
heartfelt gratitude. 

Four Days and Three Nights Adrift in a Dory Without Food. — 
Angus Chisholm and William Kennedy left sch. Bellerophon on Grand Bank, 
April 15, 1881, to visit their trawls. The fog shutting down they succeeded 
in getting on board of sch. Solomon Poole. When the fog lifted they made 
another start, but were soon enveloped in the misty haze, from whose perils 
they escaped a second time by boarding sch. Oceati King. Nothing daunted, 
as soon as it lighted up a little, they made a third attempt to find their 
trawls. From that time their experience was the "oft-told tale." Astray 
upon the high seas, encompassed by a dense fog, with nothing to guide their 
course, and destitute of food, they rowed and rowed and rowed in their well- 
nigh hopeless quest for a friendly sail. To their discomforts from exposure 
in their frail boat, their labor at the oars, and- their wearing anxiety as to 
their possible fate, were soon added the pangs of hunger. These they en- 
deavored to palliate by eating pieces of raw fish, but their stomachs rejected 
the unwonted and unsuitable food. Fortunately they were supplied with a 
quart bottle of fresh water, which was carefully husbanded, and which did 
much to sustain and cheer them on their weary round. Only a quart of wa- 
ter ! yet for the time to them their most valuable possession, compared with 
which all the glittering wealth of the world would have been valueless. For 
four dreary days and three long nights their lives were one constant monot- 
ony of desolation, of fruitless longing and unfulfilled hopes. Finally, April 
19, they were picked up by the bark Von Mollhe, Capt. McCully, from Lon- 
donderry for Baltimore, and kindly treated. The bark landed them at 
Delaware Breakwater, whence they were furnished a free passage home, ar- 
riving May 3. 



158 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

HoxME from a Fishing Voyage via England. — Charles Beranson and 
William Dousey, two of the crew of fishing sch. Notice of this port, left their 
vessel on Grand Bank, Aug. 23, 1881, for the purpose of visiting their trawls, 
and becoming involved in the fog failed to find their way back. They were 
without provisions, but the second day adrift came across a trawl from 
which they took two halibut to appease their hunger. After drifting about 
for three days and four nights they were picked up by the Norwegian bark 
Tancred, bound from the West Indies for Liverpool, Eng., and in due time 
were landed at the latter port, where they were taken in charge by the 
American consul, who supplied them with clothing and other necessaries 
and secured them passage to Boston on a schooner, and they arrived home 
about the middle of October. 

A Hard Time of It. — All Night in a Dory with the Oars Gone. — Friday 
morning, Jan. 27, 1882, sch. Emma S. Osier of this port was about four 
miles southwest of the Isles of Shoals. Soon after it came up squally, and 
she picked up her dories, all but one, which was manned by John W. Gas- 
kell, about a mile and a half to the leeward. It was easy for him to see the 
vessel, but not so for those on board to see him, as he pitched up and down 
on the heavy seas. Capt. Osier did everything in his power to find the 
missing man, but all efforts to get the buoy marks in the heavy squall were 
unavailing. Gaskell concluding that his best chance for getting on board 
was to row, let go the lee buoy, on to which he was holding, and started. 
When he had got about half way to the schooner she kept off, and he made 
up his mind that there was a hard pull for him ere he could reach the land 
or be picked up by some vessel. About eleven o'clock a heavy sea struck 
the dory, breaking the forward thwart, nearly filling her. The oars were 
washed overboard, and there he was in a heavy sea with no oars with 
which to help himself. He at once made a drogue of his nets, adding a 
dozen bricks, and lay quite comfortable to it until three P. M., when it mod- 
erated, and he commenced paddling with the damaged thwart, making very 
good progress and keeping himself comfortably warm with the exercise, al- 
though it was hard work. At 7 P. M., being entirely exhausted, he came 
to anchor abreast Halibut Point. Here he passed the night, which was 
cold and uncomfortable, and the hours seemed long and dreary. At sun- 
rise, Saturday morning, he was glad to see the fishing boat Pinafore come 
out of Rockport harbor, and paddling toward her was cordially received, 
and after partaking of a good breakfast he proceeded with them to the fishing 
grounds, arriving back in season to take the afternoon train home. Gas- 
kell's hands were badly blistered and his fingers frozen, but he soon recov- 
ered from the effects of the exposure. His arrival home caused great 
rejoicing, as it was feared that he was drowned. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 159 



The Frenchman's Stew, and the Disgusted Irishmen. 

BY DICK SKYLIGHT. 

On a pleasant evening in the Summer of 186 — , the sch. Clara F. Friend 
came sailing into Gloucester harbor, having on board in addition to her reg- 
ular crew a young Frenchman, whom we will call Louis D. One night, 
while laying at anchor on the Bank, he had left his own vessel and swam on 
board the Friend, which also lay anchored about a mile distant from the 
French bark he had left. He could not speak a word of English at that 
time, but by language of signs, which is understood by all men, he succeed- 
ed in making the American fishermen aware of his desire to visit the United 
States, and they cheerfully acceded to his wishes, assuring him that they 
would take him home with them. 

On arriving in port the Friend was hauled into the wharf and well secured, 
and, it being Saturday night, all her crew went home to stay over Sunday, 
leaving the Frenchman alone on board. 

The following morning Louis was out bright and early, and having eaten 
a hasty breakfast, took a stroll around the wharves to look at the vessels 
and also to to get an idea of the place which he now saw for the first time. 
During his wanderings about he saw a pet cat on the wharf at which the 
vessel lay, and pussy, with trusting confidence, came running up to him, and 
began purring and rubbing herself against his leg. Now this was a most 
unfortunate thing for the cat ; she took the same risk of destruction that is 
taken by the unwary whale which ventures inside of Race Point, or the 
school of mackerel that comes flipping along near Cape Ann. As the eager 
Frenchman took the unsuspecting feline up in his arms bright visions of a 
delicious soup danced before his imagination. "Now for a fresh mess ! " he 
mentally exclaimed. 

"Oh, my! ugh! the cruel, nasty thing!" exclaims some fair reader, as 
she pictures to herself her favorite Tabby in the grasp of such a remorse- 
less cat destroyer. 

But Louis knew nothing and cared less about the prejudices of the Anglo- 
Saxon race in regard to the place which the cat should occupy in domestic 
economy. He had tramped the sun-burnt plains of Mexico as a soldier, 
served a term on a man-of-war, and lastly, dined off salt grub and skate 
chowders in the forecastle of a French fishing vessel, and had long before 
this got over being fastidious, therefore he was no way loath to indulge in 
the luxury of a cat stew, the principal ingredient for which he had so easily 



160 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

secured. It is not necessary to speak here of the modus operandi of prepar- 
ing the stew ; suffice it to say that in due course of time it was ready. 

While this was transpiring a market boat, manned by a crew of hardy 
Irishmen, came in the harbor and hauled alongside of the wharf at which 
the Friend lay. It was now near noon, and the olfactories of the new 
comers were greatly refreshed by the smell of the savory stew which was 
then in process of cooking. 

Louis, being socially inclined, soon made the acquaintance of the boat's 
crew, and with true French politeness invited them, in broken English, to 
partake of his dinner. This was an opportunity for a good "feed" not to 
be neglected, and soon the party of six or eight were seated at the table 
and busily employed in gratifying their appetite, the stew being highly ap- 
preciated and praised by all the invited guests, who innocently supposed it 
was made of chickens or some sort of game. 

"Be dad, that's a foine stew, Larry, me b'y," said one of the fishermen to 
his shipmate, after dinner, and while they were filling and lighting their 
dudeens for a "schmoke." 

" Yer right there, Mike, but phat was it made of I'd like ter know ? Divil 
the bit can I tell phat kind of a bird it was." 

" Sure, it's aisy enough ter find out. Say, me b'y," addressing the French- 
man, "phat kind of a bird did yer make that soup of ?" 

Now Louis, though he comprehended the meaning of the question, could 
not answer it in English; therefore he did the next best thing, that is, 
quickly stepped into the forehold and brought out the "bird's" skin, which 
he displayed to the amazement and disgust of his visitors. 

"Howly mither ! " one exclaimed as he caught sight of the skin and the 
species of animal which had figured as the basis of the soup was made ap- 
parent to him. 

"Dear Jasus !" shouted another, grabbing his dudeen in his hand, and 
turning pale ; "the dirty haythen has been feeding us with a cat." 

A rush was now made for the deck, and never, perhaps, was seen a group 
of men more thoroughly demoralized and sickened than these now unhappy 
Irishmen. Each one seemed as intent on getting rid of his dinner as he 
had been to eat it, while poor Louis, the innocent cause of all this trouble, 
looked on in wonder, not clearly comprehending the situation, and hardly 
knowing what to expect. 

It is not necessary to describe the closing scene more in detail, since the 
imagination can best fill up the picture. It is safe to say, however, that the 
Frenchman's cat stew has never been forgotten by any of those who partook 
of it, the particulars of which, as related above, were told the writer some 
years later by the principal actor, Louis, himself. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



161 




[the poky "centennial."] 

Dory Voyagers Across the Atlantic. 

The fact that three Gloucester-built dories have successfully crossed the 
ocean in recent years makes it fitting that some reference should be made 
to such voyaging in " The Fishermen's Own Book." 

A little boat of ten tons burthen is said to have come to America from 
the mother country in the colonial days, while of the fleet of Columbus in 
1492 two were only half-decked over, and were of less than forty tons 
burthen. 

The first man to cross the Atlantic alone was Capt. Josiah Shackford, a 
Portsmouth, N. H., seaman, who sailed from Bordeaux, France, in 1786, in 
a "cutter-built" sloop of fifteen tons, accompanied only by a dog, and after 
a passage of thirty-five days arrived safely at Surinam, South America. 

June 15, 1864, Capt. John Donovan sailed from New York for London 
in a brig-rigged yawl-boat called the Vision, put into Boston July 5, leaking, 
repaired and set sail again, was spoken July 20 and supplied with provis- 
ions by an ocean steamer, and was never afterwards heard from. The Vision 
was 16 feet keel, 4 ft. 10 in. beam, 2 ft. 9 in. deep, and had masts 19 ft. 
high, spreading 50 yards of canvas. 

The famous little Red, White and Blue sailed from New York July 9, 1866, 
and made the trip to London in thirty-eight days, the shortest time known 
to dory voyagers. She was 24 ft. long, 5^2 ft. beam, drawing 18 inches 
of water forward and 20 inches aft, and was ship-rigged, spreading 65 yards 



162 FISHERMEN'S O WN BOOK. 

of canvas. Her crew consisted of Capt. John N. Hudson, Francis E. Fitch 
and a small poodle. 

About the same time a ten-ton fishing boat is said to have made the pas- 
sage from Penzance to Australia. 

In 1867 the Nonpareil, a life-raft constructed of three rubber cylinders 25 
ft. long and schooner-rigged, sailed from Boston June 4, and made the pas- 
sage to Southampton in fifty-one days. She had three men on board, Capt. 
Mikes, George Miller and Henry Lawson. 

The same month the John T. Ford, a schooner-rigged boat 25 ft. long, 
sailed from Baltimore with two men on board, but capsized off Waterford, 
on the coast of Ireland. The captain was drowned, but the other man was 
rescued by a passing vessel. 

The City of Ragusa, sloop-rigged, 19 ft. long, 6% ft. wide and 5^ ft. deep, 
manned by an Austrian named Primnaiz and an Englishman named Hay- 
ter, made the passage from Liverpool to Boston in ninety-eight days, in the 
Summer of 1870. The following year she made the passage from New York 
to Queenstown in forty days. 

Alfred Johnsen, a Gloucester fisherman of Danish birth, was the first 
man to. cross the ocean unaccompanied even by a dog. His dory, the Cen- 
temiial, was built in this city by Messrs. Higgins & Gifford, and was 16 ft. 
keel, 20 ft. over all, 5^ ft. wide and 2^ ft. deep, decked over with the 
exception of a standing room and hatchway, sloop-rigged, with two jibs, 
mainsail and square-sail. The Centennial sailed from Gloucester June 15, 
1876, touched at Barrington, N. S., sailed again June 25, and arrived safely 
at Liverpool, England, Aug. 21, sixty-seven days from Gloucester. Johnsen 
was a close calculator, and his log gave evidence that he followed the gen- 
eral route of steamship travel. Aug. 2 his boat was capsized by a heavy 
sea, but he managed to right her. Soon after, a huge shark appeared along- 
side, which he frightened away with a knife fastened to a pole. 

Another dory, the Brittle, Capt. Madison, attempted to make the voyage 
from New York to Liverpool in the Summer of 1876, and was last heard 
from in lat. 42, long. 46, where she was spoken by the ship Beethoven. The 
Brittle was 16 ft. keel, clinker-built, sloop-rigged and decked over, with a 
small hatchway amidships. 

The first woman to cross the Atlantic in a dory made the perilous passage 
in 1877. On May 28 of that year Capt. and Mrs. Thomas Crapo set sail 
from New Bedford in a boat 19.55 &■ l° n g> 6.4 ft. wide and 3.16 ft. deep, 
named New Bedford. She had two masts, 18 and 17 ft. high respectively, 
with leg-of-mutton sails. She made the passage without accident, reaching 
Mount's Bay, near Penzance, in forty-nine days. Capt. Crapo is now (1882) 
master of sch. Adelia Felicia of New Bedford. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



163 



The Nautilus came next. She was also built by Messrs. Higgins & Gif- 
ford, and was a lap-streaked dory 15 ft. keel, 19 ft. over all, 6 ft. 7 in. wide 
and 2 ft. 3 in. deep. She was manned by William A. and Asa W. Andrews, 
brothers, of Beverly, grandsons of the late Zebulon Andrews of Essex, and 
sailed from South Boston June 7, 1878. Put into Beverly and sailed again 
June 12, made Bishop's Rock Lighthouse in the English Channel July 28, 
put into Mullion Cove July 31, and arrived at Havre, France, Aug. 8. 




[the dory "nautilus" est mid-ocean.] 

June 1, 1879, Capt. and Mrs. Lewis G. Goldsmith sailed from Boston for 
England in the Uncle Sam, a boat 18 ft. over all, 6 ft. 4 in. beam and 3 ft. 
2 in. deep. They were obliged to put back, sailed again June 5, put into 
Cape Island, N. S., June 16, arrived at Halifax, N. S., June 20, touched at 
Canso, N. S., July 4 and Sydney, C. B., July 7, arrived at St. Johns, N. F., 
Aug. 7, set sail again Aug. 11, were disabled in a gale Aug. 16, and were 
taken off by a passing ship Aug. 19 and landed at New York. 

Capt. Henry Otto of Baltimore had a boat built the same year for the 
purpose of making a voyage to Liverpool and Hamburg and back. She 
was 18 ft. long, 6 ft. beam, 25 in. deep and cat-rigged, but the voyage was 
probably abandoned, as we have seen no account of Capt. Otto embarking 
from port. 

Capt. Herbert F. Burrill of Falmouth and Andrew R. Coan of Nantucket 
set sail from Boston July 9, 1879, for a voyage to Australia and thence to 
San Francisco in the Golden Gate, a boat 19 ft. long, 5 ft. 4 in. wide and 2 
ft. 6 in. deep, schooner-rigged and spreading 75 yards of canvas. After 
meeting with many misadventures they landed at a little fishing village on 
the coast of Brazil, and were sent home by the American Consul at Bahia.. 



164 



FISHERMEN 'S OWN BOOK. 



The same year a " sea-tramp" sailed from New York to Boston "in a 
cockle shell about the size of a coffin, being forty-nine days on the passage." 
Two Boston architects cruised from London to Constantinople in a ten-ton 
yacht named Dorian. 

The last Gloucester-built dory to cross the Atlantic was the Little Western, 
also built by Messrs. Higgins & Gifford. She was 16 ft. 7 in. over all, 13 
ft. 6 in. keel, 6 ft. 8 in. beam and 2 ft. 6 in. deep, clinker-built, cutter-rigged, 
and spread 5 1 yards of canvas. Manned by George S. Thomas and Fred. 
Norman. She sailed from Gloucester June 12, 1880, and arrived at Cowes 
July 28, forty-six days from Gloucester. She sailed from London June 14, 
188 1, on the return trip, arrived at Port Median, C. B., Aug. 28, at Halifax, 
N. S., Sept. 2, and at Gloucester Sept. 15, being the only one of the Glouc- 
ester-built dories to make the ocean passage both ways. 

The last successful venture in this line was made by the City of Bath, a 
dory 14 ft. long, 5 ft. wide, 21 in. deep, decked over and sloop-rigged, built 
at Georgetown, Me. She was manned by John Traynor, Ivar Olsen and a 
kitten, sailed from Bath, Me., July 5, 18S1, put into Trespassey, N. F., 
sailed again, arrived at Falmouth, England, Aug. 24, fifty days from Bath, 
and proceeded to Havre. 

Another boat was built for an ocean venture last year, but we have seen 
no account of her voyage. She was 19 ft. keel, 5 ft. beam, 13 in. draught, 
brig-rigged, and was to sail from New York, manned by Charles Moore and 
Benjamin Radford. Her name was William H. Grace. 



£ 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. ^ 



[From Report of Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries^ 

Life on Board a Mackerel Catcher— Mackerel Catching 
with the Purse-Seine. 

BY FREDERICK M. WALLEN, 

Norwegian Commissioner to the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia. 

After having waited some time for an opportunity to go to sea, to witness 
the business out there, I succeeded in getting a promise of a place on board 
the sch. William S. Baker, Captain A. K. Pearce. It was an old vessel but 
a good sailer, and the captain was recommended to me as an experienced 
enlightened, and generous man, who would take much interest in communi- 
cating to me all the information he could give. He had carried on the 
herring fishing at Labrador, halibut fishing off the west coast of Greenland 
and was now determined to prosecute mackerel fishing in the sea north of 
Boston. 

Late on a rainy evening I was informed that the vessel was now ready to 
sail, in Gloucester Harbor, and that I could come on board. Neither the 
weather nor the vessel particularly invited one out in the dark, foggy nio-ht. 
But after being shown a tolerably good bunk astern, where besides myself 
four of the crew had quarters, I soon found myself adjusted and anxious to 
get under sail. Early in the morning we cast loose and the vessel hauled 
out into the channel. But the wind was still ; we could make no headway. 
While we waited for the wind a portion of the crew passed away the time 
by taking a bath and swimming out into the deep. Their invitation to me 
to swim a race with them I was in the notion of accepting, when the signal 
was given to make sail and get under way. All came on board, took off 
their swimming clothes, put on dry clothes, and caught hold at the anchor- 
breaking and later at the hauling out, so that it was a pleasure to see them. 
The brutal execution of discipline, so often censured on American merchant- 
ships, did not exist on board here. The whole crew were native Americans, 
active and experienced fishermen. They associated with one another with 
good-will, eating at a common table to us all, and carried on their work 
with mutual satisfaction. Neither beer nor whisky is found on board : but 
warm coffee and tea can be had from five in the morning to six o'clock in 
the evening. In other respects the victuals were good and nourishing, con- 
sisting mostly of beef, pork, all kinds of fresh fish, different kinds of pie and 
pudding, sometimes vegetables, with eggs occasionally ; in short, about as 



1 66 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

in a frugal municipal family in Norway. The men were not hired, but had 
half the weight or a half share of the profits, which were calculated after the 
expenses of salting, packing, barrels, &c, were deducted. The cook, who 
besides the usual work in catching had to prepare the meals, got besides 
for his part $27.30 per month. The trip just ended had been made in three 
weeks, and had yielded a profit of a little over $81.90 net per man, which 
is considered a very good trip. The crew in herring fishing, on the con- 
trary, is generally hired. They ship at $10.92 to $13.65 per month for 
boys; $32.76 to $40.95 for able-bodied fishermen. 

After being under sail a couple of days we saw a whole fleet of mackerel 
schooners. There were between eighty and ninety sail, some of which had 
made a light catch. We passed some steamers which carried on menhaden 
fishing, and which went into port every evening to unload. These vessels 
were quite recognizable by this, that they had two men on the lookout in 
the cross-trees, on the foremast, and the rest in boats prepared for fishing. 
Among other sail we passed also an old-fashioned French-rigged vessel, 
which carried on mackerel fishing with trolling lines ; the vessel was belayed 
and went before the wind. A crew of ten men stood to leeward, and each 
man with at least two hand-lines, which he incessantly cast out and hauled 
in while two men ground bait (in a hand-mill) and threw out "chum." The 
catch was poor, and the mode of catching, itself, most fishermen had given up 
for capture with purse-seines, which have superseded all other implements. 

While crossing back and forth we often saw mackerel schools playing in 
the water, but they vanished suddenly. The folks told me that one could 
smell mackerel as well as menhaden when the large schools of fish were in 
the water. I entertained doubt of the truth of the information, but in the 
following week I became perfectly convinced of its authenticity. Early one 
morning one of the crew said that he smelt menhaden, and went immediate- 
ly aloft on the foremast to discover the school. A half hour later we saw a 
school playing on the surface of the water ; it was large mackerel. In haste 
everything was made ready ; the purse-seine, which lay on the after hatch 
coiled up in a bundle and wet with brine (to prevent rotting), was quickly 
flung down in the seine-boat, which was kept constantly in tow ; next, two 
small boats set out, so-called "dories," flat-bottomed, light-rowing boats, 
half "sjcegte" and half lighter. These are said to be the best fishing-boats 
known. When all was ready I leaped down into the boat, and away it 
went. After a half-hour's rowing the seine-boss found that the time had 
come to row in on a large school, which played quite delightfully. In three 
minutes the seine, of about 250 fathoms, was rowed out and cast in a circle 
around the school. After ten minutes more the seine was pursed, and in it 
they estimated that they had caught 300 barrels of mackerel. A dory was 
sent with a message on board the schooner, which was managed by the cap- 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 167 

tain and a small boy ; after a little manoeuvering the schooner sailed close 
to the seine, got a portion of the cork-line on board, so that the catch was 
brought between the vessel's side and the seine boat. A large dip-net, with 
tackle and a long handle, was made ready, and in a few minutes the living 
mackerel were thrown upon the deck by the half-barrel. The captured fish 
in the seine became, in the mean time, very uneasy, and rushed from one 
side of the seine to the other ; suddenly the seine burst in many places ; 
they sought to haul in the seine, both in the boats and on board, and after 
much trouble they succeeded in retaining and heaving on board a total of 
about 50 barrels. The rest of the mackerel escaped through the large holes 
in the seine. 

As soon as the catch was secured on board they took in all sail and be- 
gan on the preservation of the mackerel. With small dip-nets the fish were 
thrown in a square trough, and from this, as they were cut and washed, they 
were assorted according to size. The fish was split or cut in the belly (?) 
about as cod which are manufactured into split fish. While sprinkling them 
with salt they give them some slight cuts in the back to make the flesh swell 
and give the fish a fatter and fuller appearance. This is a trick which both 
the sellers and buyers understand. Twelve men are engaged at a time with 
the salting, while the remaining two men examine and repair the seine. In 
the space of two and a half hours 47 barrels stood ready salted. For every 
four barrels of fish was required one barrel of Liverpool salt, the packing 
being done later on shore. 

The next morning at 6 o'clock we were again in the boats, made a new 
cast, but caught nothing. At 8 o'clock we were again out, went half way 
round with the seine, when the whole school sank to the bottom. We caught 
nothing. The mackerel were wild and shy, played a little at the surface of 
the water, but vanished quickly, to emerge again farther away. The mack- 
erel schools were very large this day ; for as far as we could see on all sides 
they were playing on the surface of the water. We made no catch notwith- 
standing. The captain's attempt to entice the school with "chum" also 
failed. At n o'clock we again made a cast, but took only eight mackerel. 
At 2 o'clock, P. M., we made the fourth cast and got a couple of barrels ; 
at 4 o'clock, another cast, and took 10 barrels, but small mackerel ; and at 
6 o'clock we made another, but got almost nothing save small fish. This 
was a laborious day ; but, notwithstanding, we were the next day, at 5.30 in 
the morning, again in the boat, made a cast, but simultaneously the school 
turned around and made their escape. We saw many schools also this day, 
and at 6.30 we were again on the way after one. This time we were suc- 
cessful. They estimated the catch in the seine at 400 to 500 barrels. They 
were very large and fat mackerel. After some trouble, the vessel sailed to 
us, got a portion of the seine on board, and the taking in the fish was about 



i68 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



to begin. But the fish were very uneasy in the seine ; sunk to the bottom 
with such force that the boat was on the point of capsizing, although we 
placed eight men on the other gunwale to counterbalance the mackerel. At 
one time all went smoothly enough to haul in on the seine and make the 
purse smaller and smaller to prevent the frantic rushing of the mackerel. 
But suddenly they sank again to the bottom, careened the boat over so that 
we took in a quantity of water. We were scarcely ready to place ourselves 
on the other gunwale when we felt that the boat suddenly righted itself and 
lay still. The most knew what had happened ; it was that the mackerel 
succeeded in breaking the old seine. Through a large hole, which became 
larger and larger, about the whole school escaped ; and although we in all 
haste hauled in on the fragments and tried to form a new purse, we suc- 
ceeded in saving not more than 5 in the whole 500 barrels. 

At 9.15 we set sail for the nearest port; it was considered useless to at- 
tempt to mend the more than half worn-out seine. After a day's quick sail- 
ing, we reached Boothbay in the evening. In the harbor lay a schooner 
just arrived, which was filled to the rail with fresh-caught mackerel. The 
crew worked the whole night in preserving them. With resignation our 
crew saw this work. Had we had a better seine, we would also have had 
remunerative night-work in salting some hundreds of barrels of mackerel. 
The next morning I left the vessel, to return to Gloucester by steamer and 
railroad. 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



169 



The Merry, Merry Mackerel Catchers. 



BY JACOB S. LORD. 




Then it's laugh, "Ha! ha!" and shout, "Hur- 
rah!" 

We are hound for the coast of Maine ; 
Our hold is well stored with salt and food, 

In the boat we've a fine new seine. 

The sun goes down as we round Eastern 
Point- 
Tor Monhegan our course is laid ; 

The watch is set — the pipes are lit, 
And a game of cards is played ; 

A lively lad has a song to sing ; 

Uncle Ben has a yarn to spin ; 
So pleasantly passes the time away 

Till eight bells, when all turn in, 

Except the lonely watch on deck, 
"Whose measured tramp is heard 

As smoothly o'er the water skims 
Our vessel like a wild sea-bird. 

It is break of day — the sun peeps up, 

The morning's clear and cool, 
Aloft the lookout makes his way, 

To sight the early school. 

He espies the fleet — they are dead ahead— 

And right lustily does he shout 
To the skipper, who nervously walks the 
deck, 

"Yes, yes, the boats are out." 

Now all is life on the schooner's deck, 
As she ploughs thro' the sparkling brine ; 



Her crew in oiled clothes anxiously wait 
For a chance to wet the twine. 

"A school! a school!" from the foremast- 
head 

Is the lookout's exciting call ; 
" On the weather bow ! it's showing red, 

Can't say if it's large or small." 

" Come down from aloft ! haul up the boat ! 

Out with the dory, tumble up here, cook! 
"Work lively, lads — yes, cast her off, 

Pull out, and we'll have a look. 

Hold ! way enough ; ah, there they rise — ■ 
Good fish ! I should say they were fine ; 

Now gently start her ahead, my boys, 
Quick, seine-master, give them twine ! 

Pull hard, my men ! now bend your backs ! 

Lively! over with the corks, my friend; 
That's way enough — take on your oars, 

Pass along the dory's end ; 

Jump to the purse-line, one and all, 
Give a long, strong and a steady pull ; 

The rings are up-=yes, take them on; 
By Jove ! I believe she's full." 

Anc} so it proved— of number twos, 

Bight cheerily did we bail 
Till the skipper cries, "We've got enough, 

She's full from rail to rail." 

All night we worked at split and gib, 
Next day they were salted down, 

As the sun sank low in the ruddy west, 
We made sail for Gloucester town. 



170 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



Saving the Cable. 

BY DICK SKYLIGHT. 

One of the chief dangers to which a vessel at anchor on the Banks is lia- 
ble, is that of having another vessel drift across her bow during a gale. If 
this should happen there is little probability of either of them escaping de- 
struction. We had such an experience in the "gully" between Banquereau 
and Sable Island, on the 23d of June, 1877. The wind, which had blown 
fresh all clay, increased towards sunset, and there was a sharp combing sea 
running. We paid out all our cable and cleared up things on deck. Just 
as it was growing dark I saw the Lizzie — which was lying directly ahead 
of us — break adrift and fall off broadside to the wind and sea. 

At first I thought her crew would heave in her cable and set sail to clear 
us, but as she kept drifting and had no riding-light up, I was reluctantly 
forced to the conclusion that the watch on board of her was asleep. If that 
was the case, the only thing to do in order to avoid a collision was to cut 
our cable and go adrift too, unless we could sheer our vessel away from her 
path. The tide was running to leeward, so that we had some command 
over our vessel. with the helm; one man was, therefore, stationed at the 
wheel ready for action ; the jib was cut loose, and a rope taken from the 
clew to each bow, so that we could sheer the vessel either way, as the case 
should demand. When the drifting vessel was about two hundred feet dis- 
tant, she was driving right athwart our hawse, so that our jib-boom pointed 
straight between her masts. We had previously fired our gun several times ; 
but as there was no sign of life on board of her, the moment to try our plan 
had arrived. While I stood ready with the axe to cut the cable in case of 
a failure, the wheel was quickly put hard-a-starboard, the jib run up and 
hauled well over on the starboard bow, so that it caught aback, and our ves- 
sel slowly sheered to port, while we held our breath in suspense. The ma- 
noeuvre succeeded very well indeed, for we passed around her stern with- 
out striking. It was a close shave though, for her main-boom cleared our 
rigging by only a few feet. The quietness and good order that our crew 
had observed, while danger threatened and discipline was necessary, were 
now broken by a general yell, which brought the other crew on deck, bare- 
headed and stocking-footed, to receive, from my justly indignant men, some 
remarks and advice that were certainly forcible if not polite. But we saved 
our cable, and, as a consequence, could continue fishing, and therefore felt 
thankful that nothing worse had happened. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



171 




[model of a georgesman, 1882.] 

A Summer Trip to Georges, 

BY WALTER HILL. 

Outward Bound — Soundings — Lively Work — Pulling in the Cod and Halibut 
— A Good Fare — Homeward Bound. 

As our bait is iced, and we are all ready for a start, you had better jump 
on board and take a trip with us. We hoist mainsail and foresail, trip the 
anchor, fill away the jib, and stand out of Gloucester Harbor. That little 
island with the lighthouse on it, which we are leaving on the port or left 
hand side, is Ten Pound Island, outside of which is the outer anchorage, 
and still beyond is Eastern Point, also on the port hand, on which you ob- 
serve is another lighthouse. To the westward of us the land stretches away 
to Salem and Marblehead. Now turn and look at the scene we are leaving. 
Beautiful, is it not ? The city of Gloucester is stretched out like a panora- 
ma. The City Hall, a noble building, and the church steeples, are the most 
prominent features ; not forgetting the Pavilion Hotel on the beach. The 
innumerable fishing schooners, standing in all directions with their snow- 
white cotton sails, give an animation to the scene not often equalled. Away 
on the starboard quarter you may catch glimpses of the high-road to Mag- 
nolia and Salem. 

And now, with a freshening breeze, the sun dipping to the westward, and 
the land gradually fading behind us, we are bowling off with our head east- 
southeast for Georges. There'll be fish on deck before to-morrow night if 



172 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

the wind holds good and fortune favors us — that is, if you don't turn out to 
be a Jonah ! Fishermen are pretty superstitious, and have a great belief in 
Jonahs. Should it unfortunately happen that we do not make a good trip 
this time, being a green hand, you will surely be dubbed a Jonah. However, 
greenhorns are generally assumed to be lucky till the contrary is proved ; 
which will explain to you the suaviter in modo with which they seem to treat 
you. But there is the cook blowing his whistle to call us to supper ; so we 
will go down and make a "square meal," and then prepare for a nap. 

" Hallo, there ! rouse out, jold boy ; do you calculate on sleeping all day ? 
The whistle went for breakfast' long since, and the old cook will be clearing 
the table off if you don't soon put in an appearance." Make a good break- 
fast, and no signs of the landsman's malady yet. "Glad to hear it; you're 
quite a Trojan." 

We have carried a spanking breeze all night, and have come about sixty- 
five miles since we started. Suppose we round her to and get a cast of the 
lead ; one hundred and twenty fathoms of line out, and no bottom. We'll 
stand along a while longer. Meanwhile, I'll rig a line for you to fish with. 
We use two hooks to each line with a snood of about one and a half fath- 
oms to each hook, depending from the bottom of the lead. Having got a 
basket of bait up from the hold, we'll take another sound ; seventy-five fath- 
oms, hard bottom ; we'll have a try here, lads. Down go the lines, and, 
bye-and-bye, Tom commences hauling. "What have you got on, Tom? A 
snapper (a small codfish), I guess, I've got something small on, too." 
They're too small here to pay us, so we'll go further for a field. My olfac- 
tories inform me that the cook is progressing favorably ; so we will have 
dinner before sounding again. I don't want to make any invidious remarks, 
but the sea air seems to act magically on our appetites. Now for another 
sound ; sixty fathoms — that's better. " By Jove ! that jerk was from no 
small fish. There, he smells around again. Aha ! I've captured you this 
time, old boy." Hallo ! Tom, Harry, Dick, all hauling as if for a wager. 
Bear a hand, boys, and heave that anchor off the bow before she drifts away 
from the "school." We're on fish this time, and no mistake. Let her have 
a good scope of cable, and furl the sails. There ! we are all snug. 

And now, gentle reader, whoever you may be, for whom I rigged that line, 
you may take the next berth alongside of me and try your luck. Heave 
over your snoods with the baited hook first, and then the lead, taking care 
that the snoods go down clear, as on that depends whether you haul up one 
fish or a pair. Hold the line in check a little, as it runs down, or the tide 
will run it out in a bite, and it will foul the other lines coming up with fish 
on them ; and then you'll get — anything but blessings. Directly you feel 
your lead strike bottom, haul back a little, so as to leave the hooks dang- 
ling at or near the bottom. That's very well ; watch the rest and you'll 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



i73 



soon get initiated. There ! you have got a bite, and a good one, too ; haul 
steadily away, you'll find sixty fathoms a long haul, but that won't trouble 
you after a day or so. He's alongside, take him aboard with the gaff. I've 
got a pair coming, too. That won't do, however ; your hands will soon get 
torn and scratched if you try to unhook the fish before killing him. Hit 
him on the head with a short stick the first thing after you get him on deck. 
There's a knack, too, in unhooking ; see how easy it comes to me — a twist 
and a jerk, and it's all done. Faster and faster the fish begin to come ; 
everybody working like beavers ; the fish hooking themselves as fast as the 
lines reach the bottom. What a scene of animation ! Some gaffing in fish, 
others killing, some unhooking, and others, again, clearing a foul. H-s-s, 
h-s-s, see your lines ! By Jove ! my boy, you've got a halibut on. Easy 
now. That fish is worth a five-dollar bill to you if you get him up. There 
he snubs — give him line — don't hold him too hard, or he will break the 
gear. He is beginning to stay his downward course — hold him. Now he 
runs up ; take in the line smartly, or he may unhook himself. H-s-s, h-s-s, 
he's taking another downward dive and making the line smoke again. Stand 
by to haul him away as he tires. Up he runs again. Keep him well in 




[got a halibut on.] 

hand now ; stand by with gaffs, here, two or three hands. There he heaves 
in sight. A one hundred and fifty pounder, at least. Stick the gaffs in his 
head, and be sure to get a good hold. Now, then, yeo ! heave-ho ! all to- 
gether ! up with his flat lordship. Slap, oh ! he falls on deck, and such a 
floundering, thrashing time of it you never saw. Hit him a tap or two with 
the killer just over the nose. That quiets him. Now get him away clear 
of the gear, and heave your lucky line over again. 



1 74 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Thus we go till near nightfall, when we haul in lines and dress the fish 
secured. Two gangs form to dress down, one on each side of the vessel. 
One man pitches the fish along into the tub for dressing ; the next cuts off 
the head and slits the fish down the belly ; a third takes out the gut and 
deposits the liver in a basket by his side; while a fourth "splits" the fish 
and takes out the backbone ; and from his hand it goes into a tub of water, 
and thence into the hold of the Salter. The halibut are then gutted and put 
into the ice-house, as they have to be kept fresh. We've got, to-day, about 
1,000 pounds weight of halibut and 3,000 pounds weight of codfish — a very 
good day's work, considering it was dinner-time when we struck fish. A 
week of this fishing, and we shall use up all our bait ; but then, it is seldom 
fish stay in one place so long in Summer time. 

It is now ten days since we got on the Bank, and, although we did not 
keep the first "school" round us more than three or four days, we have been 
fortunate enough to strike them again since, and have made a rousing trip, 
after all— about 35,000 pounds weight of salt codfish and 4,000 pound weights 
of halibut. The crew will make about fifty dollars apiece on an average — 
not a bad fortnight's work. As the wind is fair, I think we may put her 
head for Gloucester. Things don't always go so smoothly as they have this 
trip, however; and sometimes we beat about for days without meeting with 
anything. 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 175 



Rob's First Cruise, 

BY S. G. D. 

It was an event of importance when John Wayne bought the Phillis with 
the accumulated savings of many years, and began to go master of his own 
vessel. He and his wife Margery had discussed the matter many times and 
weighed the pros and cons carefully before the purchase was completed. 
And when the bargain was fully concluded, and the Phillis was brought 
round to the little cove before the cottage door, the repairing and painting 
and outfitting of the Phillis was a topic of ever fresh and all-absorbing in- 
terest to John and Margery, and Rob and little Ran ; and the fishermen at 
the cove, and all the boys in the region roundabout came by twos and 
threes to critically inspect and comment on John Wayne's craft. 

Proudest of all was Rob. "Father '11 go skipper now," he remarked glee- 
fully. "I'll tell you what, I shall be skipper a good part of the time 
when I play with the cove boys, that is, if I play with them any more now. 
I think I am big enough to leave school and go cook. Can't I go, father ? 
I shall be thirteen next Spring, you know, and I have got to the Rule of 
Three in arithmetic." 

John Wayne thought, however, it would be wiser for Rob to keep on at 
his ciphering awhile longer, and when the long Summer vacation came, he 
should go two or three trips and see how he liked fishing. But he must 
learn a little about cooking first. And with that Rob had to be content. 

Did ever the weeks of a term of school before stretch out so endlessly ? 
Long before vacation came Rob had become quite an adept in the making 
of bread and molasses short-cake, and in the preparation of various dishes 
adapted to the menu of a Galilee fisherman. But, as an end comes to all 
terrestrial things, tedious howsoever they may be, so there came a blissful 
day when Rob danced home with his books, too happy to walk soberly, now 
that the vacation had really come. And for once he was in great luck ; for 
the Phillis was in and would be ready to sail for the fishing ground the first 
of the following week. 

What a perfect Summer morning it was when Rob proudly sailed away on 
his first cruise just as the rays of the rising sun illumined the sparkling sea. 
Margery fondly looked after her boy so gaily swinging his hat, and her hus- 
band standing at the tiller, till she could distinguish them no longer, and 
then she watched the Phillis till it was a mere speck on the blue waters of 
the bay. And when she turned to her morning tasks how still and lonely 



176 



FISHERMEN S O WN BOOK. 




GETTING THE "PHILLIS" READY FOR THE SEASON'S WORK. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 177 

the house seemed now that her noisy boy was no longer in it. Little Ran 
was still quietly sleeping, and it would be perhaps two or three hours before 
he would wake and want his breakfast. Margery sat down to do a few rows 
on her net, but the stillness was so oppressive that it presently became un- 
bearable, and she arose and went out to work awhile in her garden, in the 
dewy freshness and coolness of the morning. 

Bye-and-bye she heard Ran's voice at the open window. "Where is Wob ? " 
he asked. 

"Rob has gone with papa in the Phillis. Don't you remember he carried 
his clothes aboard last night ? He got up very early and went away while 
you were fast asleep." 

•' I want Wob ! " was the response, with a gush of tears. 

Margery's heart echoed the cry as she went in to console her little one 
and to get him his breakfast of bread and milk. The day was long for 
Margery, and long for little Ran, who missed his playmate. And when he 
went to bed he asked, "Will Wob turn in the night?" And in the morning 
the first question was, "Will Wob turn to-day?" And the questions were 
daily asked, morning and night, during Rob's absence. 

The days went by one after another, till a fortnight had passed, and it 
was time to look for the Phillis. And Margery, sitting at her net, or chat- 
ting with some neighbor who had come in, often looked out on the bay, 
hoping to catch a glimpse of a white sail that was dearer to her than all the 
other white sails flitting to and fro on the broad blue sea. 

There came a day when the Summer sun shone fiercely down on a parched 
earth. All the morning there was an ominous stillness in the air. There 
was no note of bird or sound of insect, and even the waters for once seemed 
hushed into absolute silence. When Margery had finished her midday 
meal, she went to the door and sent a sweeping glance over the darkening 
waters. She saw a sail — yes, it was the sail she longed to see. But what 
a lurid light filled the air, and what threatening clouds were piling up in 
great masses towards the zenith. "O if they were but here," she sighed. 

The storm broke long before the craft Margery's eyes so eagerly watched 
could reach a haven. How the lightning flashed, and the thunder roared, 
and the wind swept round the little house on the headland ! How the rain 
poured in a blinding sheet, that shut out from Margery's sight the vessel on 
the tossing billows of the bay ! She drew back from the window, and clasp- 
ing closely Ran in her arms, she waited for the power of the tempest to be 
spent. Hours passed by, but still the wind blew a gale, and the rain fell in 
torrents, when the shades of night gathered, and darkness covered the face 
of the mighty deep. 

A sleepless night it was for Margery Wayne, and when day dawned, 
though the rain had ceased to fall, a turbulent, stormy sea was still lashed 



178 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

and vexed by the wind. And as it grew lighter not a sail was to be seen on 
the bay. Where was the Phillis and her crew ? 

It was nearly noon, when one of the cove boys burst open the cottage 
door, and cried out abruptly, " They've found the name of the Phillis over 
there on the rocks, and they're bringing it up here." 

Pale and speechless, Margery sank into the nearest seat. Ran felt that 
something had happened. " What is it ? " he asked ; " Is Wob tummin and 
my faver ?" 

"O Ranold, Ranold," cried his mother, "your father will never come 
home any more, and Rob will never come back to us ! " 

The sign was brought up and laid on the grass-plot before the door. 
Yes, it was the very sign that John Wayne had painted with such patient 
and loving care. In what fearful moment was it wrenched from its hold, 
and where now were the timbers of the Phillis scattered, and where alas ! 
was the brave crew ?" 

One, two, three days went by. It was a golden Summer afternoon, and 
the sea was as gentle and placid as if it had never been storm-tossed. Mar- 
gery, pale and listless sat, slowly drawing her netting-needle in and out 
through the meshes of her net. She was stunned. It was not possible yet 
to think of the future, and so she went on doing mechanically as she had 
done. Ran, rosy, dimpled and dewy-eyed, scarcely awake from his after- 
noon nap, stood looking out of the cottage door. His long silence attracted 
Margery's attention. She turned her head wearily to see what he was doing. 

"What is Rannie looking at?" she asked indifferenly. 

"My faver's boat," said the little one sturdily. "My faver is tummin 
some more, and Wob, too ! I sees 'em my own self." 

Margery's heart gave a great throb. Another instant and she stood beside 
Ran. Did her eyes deceive her, or was it a phantom craft that was round- 
ing the headland and sailing so noiselessly into the little cove ? Was it 
really her husband giving directions to his crew, and Rob himself waving 
his hat as joyously as when he sailed away, or were her senses leaving her ? 

Ah, yes, she notes now, with a sob of relief, that the name is gone from 
the bow, but the vessel otherwise seems as staunch as ever. 

The Phillis had been blown off shore and somewhat strained, but had 
received no other injury save the loss of her name, which had been inse- 
curely fastened and which the capricious waves must wash up on the cove 
rocks, and so cause Margery Wayne such days and nights of anguish. The 
vessel itself had been in a safe harbor before dark on the night of the storm. 

Rob had come home in high feather. He had been all about the city 
with his father while the Phillis was lying wind-bound. His father had 
found a good market for his fish, and Rob had taken part of his earnings to 
buy for himself a four-bladed knife, and for Ran a most wonderful gun, 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 179 

that could be half cocked and wholly cocked, and that would make a great 
noise. 

Rob went three trips that Summer, and he was quite a hero among the 
cove boys when he went back to school in the Fall. His knife was the 
envy and admiration of all the other boys, and often while he was busy carv- 
ing elder into fanciful shapes, he was wont to hold forth to an eager audi- 
ence his narrative, invariably commencing, "When I went my first trip in 
the Phillis—" 




Lost in the Fog. 



In the preceding pages are given many instances of fishermen lost in the 
fog on the Banks, and of great sufferings caused thereby from hunger and 
exposure. The above engraving did not reach us in season to be placed 
in that chapter, so we insert it here. It illustrates an instance where two 
poor fellows are thus adrift on the wide expanse of waters. One is stand- 
ing up, pointing, seemingly, at some slight object which may be dimly dis- 
cerned, to which the attention of his companion, who has stopped rowing 
and is anxiously looking, is directed. Or it may be that they are holding & 
consultation as to which dierction it would be best to pull, in order to meet 
with some vessel or fall in with the land, and thus escape the perils which 
surround them. It is a perilous position to be placed in, especially without 
food or drink, and we do earnestly hope that each dory while on the grounds, 
will in future be well provided with these important articles.. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 




Crippled on the "Home Stretch," 



BY DICK SKYLIGHT. 



No branch of the fishery is so uncertain, as to the returns, as that for 
halibut. One vessel may get a high price for her fish, while a second, a 
few days or hours later, by striking an overstocked market, may receive not 
more than half as much. As the success of the trip therefore depends very 
much on the rapidity of the homeward passage, sail is crowded on, even to 
the point of extreme danger, and the " home stretch " frequently becomes 
the most exciting part of the whole trip, demanding the best seamanship 
and skill on the part of the skipper and crew. 

Fishermen as a class take especial pride in the sea-going qualities of the 
vessel they sail in, and esteem most highly her ability to carry a crowd of 
sail in a fresh breeze. This particular pride is often more forcibly exhib- 
ited — perhaps recklessly so — by the men composing the crews than hy the 
skippers, since upon the latter rests the responsibility. It is sometimes 
quite amusing to overhear some of the remarks of the men on deck in re- 
lation to carrying sail. " I tell yer what 'tis/' says one to his watch-mate, 
" the old critter's stiff 's a church." " Yes," replies the other, " the old gal 
can wear her muslin 'bout 's long 's any of 'em. I don't believe them they 
blow so much about can stand it much longer ; not if the old man's a mind 
to lug it on her." This desire to " lug it on her " is expressed, too, when 
the little schooner is probably buried all under water on the lee side, and 
the spars and sails are strained to the utmost. On more than one occasion 
I have, myself, barely escaped evil consequences from carrying a " taut 
rag " when homeward bound. 

One night in March, 1878, we left the Grand Bank just at the commence- 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 181 

ment of a southeast storm, which rapidly augmented in fury. About 3 
o'clock in the morning all hands were called to take in the staysail, after 
which the dories were turned bottom up and lashed securely. This work 
occupied about an hour, when all but myself and the watch went below. 
The night was intensely dark, and all that it was possible to see was the 
sparkle of the spray as it flew from the bow, and the luminous phosphores- 
cent track behind our vessel, as, with her sheets well off, she rushed through 
the waters and the darkness like a great black-winged spectre. A half hour 
later I again called all hands : " Get on your oil clothes and stand by the 
halyards," is the order. Hardly had this been done, when a squall struck 
us almost with the force of a thunderbolt. Feeling the vessel settling, I 
shouted to the man at the wheel, " Let her come to," and to his watch- 
mate, "Let go the main-peak halyards." At the same time I sprang to the 
main-throat halyards and tried to get them clear, but could not, owing to 
the darkness, and the fact that they were not belayed as usual. In the 
meantime our little vessel came near going to the bottom, for she was under 
water from her cat-head to the taffrail, on the lee side. When the man at 
the wheel first heard my order, he put the helm down, but, finding the ves- 
sel was going so low, kept her off again (thinking that the safer thing to do), 
at the same time climbing on top of the wheel-box to get out of the water. 
His watch-mate, though floated off his feet on the lee side, let the peak hal- 
yards go by the run. This reduced the sail considerably, and, the first fury 
of the squall being past, the " old boat " shook off part of the water, and, 
still running at an appalling rate, kept afloat until we could shorten sail 
still more. 

On another occasion, in the Spring of 1876, while running for home in a 
northeast gale, our vessel was " sprawled out " by heavy seas twice in one 
day, being knocked down so that her sails were in the water, and the lee 
side completely buried. The night preceding the day on which we were 
knocked down we had a tussle with the ice, immense floes of which, in the 
Spring of 1876, were driven by a succession of northerly winds nearly to 
the edge of the Gulf Stream. We were running under a double-reefed 
mainsail, whole foresail and jib (with the bonnet out) — all the sail we could 
stagger under — when, a little after midnight, the watch shouted down the 
companion-way : " Hear the news there below ! rouse out, here's ice close 
aboard ! " It needed no second call to bring us out, for all realized the dan- 
ger of meeting with ice while running at such a rate ; if the vessel struck a 
heavy piece her bows would be crushed in like an egg shell. As for my- 
self I hurried on deck in my shirt sleeves, and, jumping into the rigging, 
climbed far enough above deck to get a good view, and clung there for 
nearly two hours directing the wheelsman how to steer to avoid coming in 
contact with either the floe or straggling pieces of ice. The latter, which 



i8 2 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

were of various sizes, were really the most dangerous, since they could not 
be seen so quickly. It was bright moonlight, however, which was much in 
our favor, and by taking in the foresail we reduced the speed of the vessel, 
so that we passed safely by hundreds of isolated ice cakes, any one of 
which would have knocked in our vessel's bow had she struck it. With the 
wind blowing a northeast gale and sweeping down from such a vast body of 
pack ice as lay to windward, the air was keen and biting, as may easily be 
surmised, and when at last we had cleared the last of the lolly-ice* which 
strung out to the leeward of the main floe, and the increasing motion 
of the vessel gave evidence of open water to windward, I crawled down out 
of the rigging, but was so thoroughly chilled through that I could scarcely 
stand. 

As there was possible danger of meeting more ice, and the wind had in- 
creased somewhat, I concluded not to set the foresail before daylight. 
When we cleared the ice we were nearly a hundred miles south of the 
latitude of Sable Island, and were therefore obliged to steer W. N. W., 
which brought us almost in the trough of the sea. Having warmed myself, 
and ordered the watch to " call me if there were any indications of ice, or 
increase in wind," I turned in. The sea increased very much towards 
morning, and a little after daybreak we were tripped and knocked down ; 
the mainboom went under nearly to the mast, parting the boom-tackle ; one 
man in the forecastle was thrown from a weather into a lee bunk, and 
another who was lying in a berth on the lee side was scalded by the con- 
tents of the coffee pot which came tumbling on top of him from the stove 
on the opposite side. Altogether there was quite a mixing up of things, 
but almost before we had a chance to realize the situation, the vessel was 
back on her bottom and tearing along on her course again. Not caring, 
however, to repeat the performance, if we could avoid it, we set a double- 
reefed foresail, took in the mainsail, and bent the riding sail in its stead. 
Under this canvas we kept along on our course, though, such was the 
danger of being sprawled out again, that I staid on deck all day directing 
the man at the wheel how to steer to escape the ugly cross seas that quite 
frequently came along. It was anything but pleasant, to be sure, to run a 
vessel under such circumstances, but nevertheless we kept her going, 
swinging off almost before it sometimes, and hauling to on our course again 
when a chance offered. In this way we went along safely until about sun- 
down, when, being very hungry, I went below for a lunch, first giving the 
man at the wheel the order to " Watch her sharp ; swing her off quick if 



*Lolly-ice is the name given to the fine ice which generally extends to a greater or less dis- 
tance to leeward of field ice. It is formed by the grinding together of the larger pieces, and 
being of small size, and, of course, comparatively little under water, usually drifts to lee- 
ward faster than heavy ice. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 183 

you see a bad one* coming, and let her take it stern to." I had scarcely- 
seated myself on the weather side of the forecastle table, with a piece of 
bread in one hand and a mug of tea in the other, when the vessel was 
thrown completely on her beam ends. Dropping whatever I held, I sprang 
for the companion-way the instant I felt her going over. But the water, 
rushing over the top of the companion doors, met me as I gained the top 
of the steps, and as the vessel was at that time lying flat on her side, the 
prospect of her righting again before she filled looked rather dubious. 
There was a strong probability, too, that the man at the wheel had been 
washed overboard, or injured, and if such was the case the vessel (should 
she right) would be in danger of broaching to and having another sea 
sweep over her. Fortunately, as in the morning, she soon straightened up 
again, and I jumped out on deck and ran for the wheel. By the time I 
reached the main hatch, though it took scarcely an instant, the wind struck 
into the sails, and the vessel, starting ahead with a rush, drew herself out 
from beneath the water under which she was buried from the mainmast aft, 
and which went dashing and splashing out over the stern and both rails as 
our " old boat" once more rose buoyant on top of the waves. So far under 
water had the stern been that the wheelsman — a six footer — was entirely 
submerged when the vessel righted, though he stood on his feet, still retain- 
ing his grip of the wheel ; the men in the cabin were nearly smothered by 
steam and gas which was driven from the cabin stove by a stream of water 
which ran down the stove pipe on to the burning coal. Barefooted, bare- 
headed, and panting for breath, they were glad enough to get out on top of 
the house where they might get the fresh air. 

Although we had met with little or no damage, from being sprawled out 
twice, it was, nevertheless, a little more than we had advertised for, so we 
hove to for a few hours until the moon rose, when, the sea having gone 
down somewhat, we started again on the home stretch. 

"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," it has been well said, and the 
foregoing will show that the success and safety of the winter fisherman de- 
mands almost as great watchfulness and circumspection, since the incidents 
mentioned above are only two of hundreds that might be related. 



*A sharp and heavy cross sea, which would be likely to break aboard and sweep the deck, 
if nothing worse happened. 



184 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 




The December Gales of 1876. 

The gales which swept over the fishing banks on the 9th and 16th of De- 
cember, 1876, were terrific. All who were exposed to them and returned 
to port affirmed that in all their experience nothing was ever encountered 
which would compare with the fierceness of the winds and the waves and 
the narrow chances which beset the fleet exposed to their fury. Herewith 
we publish the accounts of our interviews with the skippers. These gales 
swallowed up ten vessels, and ninety-eight men were buried beneath the 
treacherous billows, the full particulars of which will be found under the 
appropriate heading. 



Experience of Sch. "Augusta H. Johnson" — Her Captain Obeys a 
Premonition and Saves a Man's Life. — Capt. George A. Johnson of sch. 
Augusta H. Johnson, left Banquereau on. the 7th of December for home. 
Encountered the gale on the night of the 9th. A 7 o'clock came to anchor 
thirty miles to the westward of Sable Island. The wind blew a perfect hur- 
ricane with an ugly sea running. Parted at n o'clock; hove in the cable, 
and at 4 o'clock on the morning of the 10th anchored again ; parted again 
at 7 o'clock ; a tremendous sea boarded her at 9 o'clock, which stove five 
dories, broke fore-boom and fore-gaff in two places ; took three hundred 
fathoms of cable from the weather side to leeward, when John McDonald, 
one of the crew, got caught in the coil and received severe injuries. Run 
her from 10 o'clock A. M., to 2 o'clock P. M., when the storm abated, and 
put on sail for home. Was in Shelburne, N. S., 17th, and on the morning 
of the 18th saw a disabled brig about thirty miles off Seal Island. A barque 
was near by, and Capt. Johnson concluded that she would give all needed 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 185 

assistance. Then a strong impression came over the captain to board the 
brig, and he could not shake it off. He was extremely desirous to keep on 
his passage home, but the impression weighed on his mind. He felt uneasy. 
Go on board the brig ! was the mandate plainly given, and he could not 
dispel it. Finally he obeyed the premonition, and with four of his men 
he boarded the brig in the dory. It proved to be the Wildhorse, coal laden 
and abandoned. (She afterwards went ashore at St. John's Island.) Capt. 
Johnson got sail on her, and after she got well on her course he descried 
an object as far ahead as he could see, which resembled a man on a cake 
of ice. He at once called attention to it and signalled to the schooner. 
With all speed they hastened to it in the dory, and on drawing near, what 
was their surprise in finding a man clinging to the bottom of a boat which 
was painted white, thus giving the appearance of an ice cake in the distance. 
It proved to be Mr. Gottfried Frankfurt, mate of barque Seawood, who with 
three men had boarded the brig, and upon their return the boat was cap- 
sized alongside. Two of the men succeeded in getting on board, leaving 
Frankfurt and a seaman named Peter Anderson, in the water. They both 
succeeded in clinging to the boat's bottom ; the barque drifted away, and 
ere the men on the vessel got their boat ready the two were out of sight. 
They had cruised around, and not succeeding in finding them, had given 
them up. The cold was most intense, with a heavy sea, and for two hours 
Frankfurt had managed to hold on to the submerged boat, with the water 
up to his breast, the sea beating over him and the cold piercing his vitals. 
It was a terrible struggle for life, and his companion succumbed to the fear- 
ful ordeal, and slipping off the boat disappeared beneath the waters ! The 
suffering man was taken on board the Johnson, where kind hearts and will- 
ing hands administered restoratives, and he escaped without any serious 
illness. The probabilities are that if Capt. Johnson had kept on his course 
and not heeded the premonition, the man would have been drowned, as he 
could not possibly have held on but a few moments longer. Who can ac- 
count for such a premonition ? Surely it was not of the captain's seeking, 
as he was opposed to heeding it, supposing that the barque had rendered 
all the necessary assistance, and he wanted to get home. The Seawood ar- 
rived at Portland, where the mate joined her. 

Loss of Sch. "Daniel A. Burnham." — Sch. Daniel A. Burnham, Capt. 
James Nickerson, was capsized on Grand Bank in the gale of the 10th, car- 
rying away both masts level with the deck. The crew remained on the 
wreck five days, suffering great hardships, when they were taken off by a 
steamer and carried into St. Johns. The wreck was in a sinking condition 
when the men were rescued. They lost everything, and were more or less 
injured from exposure. 



1 86 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Experience of the "John Dove" — A Tough Time of It. — Sch. John 
Dove was exposed to the full severity of the gale of Dec. 16th and 17 th, on 
La Have Bank. On the 16th one of the crew named Augustus Brown fell 
overboard, but being an expert swimmer, kicked off his heavy rubber boots 
and struck out bravely for the vessel. Ropes and tubs were thrown over 
from the vessel, but the tide was running strong and the current bore him 
away from them. The cable was paid out until the vessel backed down to 
where Brown was swimming, and he was taken on board, after having been 
in the water about eight minutes. Early on the morning of the 17th a tre- 
mendous sea broke over the vessel, sweeping the decks, carrying away two 
companion-ways, smashing dory, staving rail, breaking the wheel-box, de- 
molishing the cooking stove, and doing other damage. But for the parting 
of the cable the vessel must have foundered. One of the crew, Maurice Wi- 
ley, was washed against the companion-way and had his face severely cut. 
The Dove put into Halifax on the 23d for repairs. She had rough weather 
all the time after leaving port, being three times blown off her fishing 
grounds, once a distance of some seventy-five miles. 

Experience of the "Ruth Groves." — Sch. Ruth Groves was knocked 
nearly bottom upward by a heavy sea, her foremast carried away to the 
deck, and lost mainsail, main-boom, and main-gaff. Two of her crew, Chas. 
Cook of Lockeport, N. S., and Joseph Teddy of Sydney, C. B., were swept 
overboard and lost. The crew were obliged to pump and bail all night to 
keep her free. Some sails were rigged and a drogue put out. They steered 
for Liverpool, N. S., which they reached after a dangerous passage. Charles 
McKinney, one of the crew, was thrown out of his berth upon the stove, 
and was so severely burned that he was sent home in sch. Howard. 

Sch. "Edwin C. Dolliver," Capt. John Thompson, from Western Bank, 
reported the gales as very severe. Lost three anchors. On the nth of 
December saw brig lucy in a disabled condition on the southern part of the 
Bank ; took off her crew of eight men and brought them to this port. The 
vessel soon after sunk. She was commanded by Capt. James Irving, loaded 
with coal and potatoes, and bound for Cuba. 

Sch. "Riverdale," Capt. Forristall, while lying at anchor on LaHave 
Bank, in the gale of the 9th of December, was struck by a heavy sea, which 
swept the decks, smashed three dories and sent them adrift, and carried 
away everything moveable. The vessel was hove on her beam ends, and 
the cabin and forecastle filled with water. The cable parted, and the crew 
shifted the salt and fish in the hold, and the vessel righted. The Riverdale 
lost her other anchor and cable in the gale of the 16th, and was obliged to 
put into Halifax for repairs. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 187 

Fearful Experience on Board Schooner "Howard," 

BY J. W. COLLINS. 

There are few, indeed, who have never experienced it, that can form any 
adequate idea of what it is to ride out a gale — a regular "sneezer" — at an- 
chor in mid-ocean, where even the staunchest ocean steamers are like play- 
things of the mighty elements. As a rule, a fishing vessel rides like a sea- 
gull, gallantly breasting the waves that go seething and swishing by, although 
the violence of the wind often makes the little schooner tremble like an Au- 
tumn leaf, as it rises on the top of a huge wave to plunge the next moment 
down its opposite side. Nevertheless, an " unlucky sea " will occasionally 
break on board, and, if the man on watch is not on the lookout for it, he is 
likely to be injured if not washed overboard. But, whatever the danger to 
individuals, a lookout must be kept, for in a gale many most serious perils 
threaten, which can only be successfully met by utmost care and vigilance. 

It frequently happens that after a long day (often eighteen or nineteen 
hours) of fatiguing work at fishing, the weary crew, with the exception of the 
watch, turn in for the much needed sleep. It may be scarcely an hour later, 
when the watch goes below and, giving the skipper a shake to waken him, 
says : " Cap'n, it's blowing again like great guns, and I think she needs 
the rest of her cable ; you'd better turn out and look at it." Of course there 
is no shirking this duty, and the skipper, knowing he is not called without 
good reason, tumbles out of his bunk, puts on boots and sou'-wester, and 
goes up in the companion-way, greeted, the moment he thrusts his face out- 
side, by the full force of a nor'west snow-squall. The roaring of the waves 
as they go rushing by, the dismal howling of the wind through the rigging, 
added to the darkness of the night, intensified by the blinding effect of snow 
and hurling spray, leave no choice but to order the watch to " call 'em out, 
for'ard," while at the same time the shout, " Come ! rouse out here ! we've 
got to give her the whole string," wakes the heavy slumberers in the cabin, 
and the half-asleep and thoroughly disgusted men crawl on deck with many 
objurgations and odd, but innocent remarks. 

" What kind 'er weather d'ye call this ! " one growls out ; while another 
exclaims, " If I had the job, and couldn't make any better, I'd give up the 
contract and hire out to a farmer." The air with which the closing sen- 
tence is uttered plainly tells that, in the mariner's estimation, the lowest 
degradation one could possibly reach would be to " hire out to a farmer." 

But this is only cheap talk, and, notwithstanding the danger from shipping 
seas, the crew soon muster around the windlass, and sufficient cable is 



1 88 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

veered out for the occasion, often amounting to three hundred and fifty or 
four hundred fathoms, if there is a heavy gale, and the vessel is in deep 
water, though on the shoal part of the Bank, in thirty to fifty fathoms, much 
less cable is required. 

In ordinary gales fishermen are rarely anxious for their safety, for, like 
veteran soldiers, they come to think little of their perils, and while the 
storm howls, the vessel rolls, staggers, rises and plunges again, the crew off 
duty will frequently gather in the cabin and "pitch in for a sing," and at 
such times groups of four often improvise a low table on the cabin floor, 
and have a game of " Seven Up," or " Euchre." Exclamations of " Swing 
for his Jack," "That makes us game," and the like, are sometimes inter- 
rupted by a dash of water down the companion-way, which obliges every- 
body to scramble to their feet to save themselves and the precious cards 
from a wetting. 

But furious hurricanes often sweep across the Banks with almost resistless 
fury, carrying destruction and death with them, and appalling even the 
stoutest hearts. Such was the terrific gale of Sept. 9th and 10th, 1876, in 
which many staunch vessels succumbed to the power of the wind and waves, 
carrying down with them the hardy and. daring men who formed their crews. 

The writer was then in command of the sch. Howard — one of the very 
few, if not the only vessel, to hold on and ride out the gale at anchor. The 
vessel was on Banquereau, and the following extract from a letter gives the 
principal incidents of the occasion : 

On the morning of the 9th of December we made sail* before daylight 
and got all ready to set our trawls, but by the time it was fairly light it blew 
up smart from the southeast and began to snow. We lay by for awhile 
around the Andrew Lcighton and her dories, some of which were out. After 
an hour or two, finding the wind increasing fast, we ran in on the Bank un- 
til we reached a depth of sixty fathoms, where we anchored and got all 
ready for a gale. The southeaster blew heavy, but was of short duration, 
being about what Winter southeasters generally are. 

The night of the 9th the wind jumped in to west-northwest, and towards 
morning of the 10th blew very heavy; so hard indeed that, fearing the rid- 
ing-sail would go to pieces, we hauled it down. The riding-sail, which be- 
longed to another vessel, and which we had taken temporarily, was a new 
one which had no reef in it, as did our own. The latter had been left 
ashore, as it was too old for a Winter trip. 

The gale increased in fury, and after daylight blew extremely hard, while, 
to make matters worse, the tide set out to run to the southward, hawsing 
the vessel up in such a manner that she lay almost in the trough of the sea. 

*Set mainsail and jib. We had been lying to during the previous night under a foresail. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 189 

There was a fearful sea going, too, I think the worst I ever saw ; but we 
did not ship any heavy water before eight o'clock, A. M. Just before that 
hour I went up in the companion-way and spoke to the man who had the 
watch, and who was busy aft by the wheel-box clearing the log-line, or some 
other small gear which had been fouled up by the water washing it about 
deck. He was standing with his back to the sea, totally unmindful of his 
danger. As I went below I said to him, "Keep a good lookout for your- 
self, George ; keep your eye to wind'ard. for there are some nasty seas com- 
ing along." "All right, skipper, I'll look out for myself," he replied in a 
cheerful tone. His watch was just out, and the man who succeeded him was 
nearly ready to go on deck as I went below. 

I had not been in the cabin more than a minute, when a tremendous sea 
broke on board abaft, or about the main rigging, swept aft with resistless 
force, knocking the companion-way slide to as though it was struck with 
a trip-hammer, ripping two boards off of it; also the bait planks off the 
house ; and last, and most appalling of all, sweeping the unsuspecting man 
(George Miller) into the foaming and seething waters astern, so far away as 
to be beyond the reach of all human aid. A feeling of horror, like an elec- 
tric shock, passed through me as I heard the roar of the breaking waves 
and the peculiar swishing sound of the waters rushing across the deck, and 
I exclaimed to the man who was standing by the steps ready to go on deck, 
"My God! Silas, I'm afraid that sea has washed George overboard." 
Reaching up, Silas shoved the slide back, and we both sprang on deck. 
But what a sight met our eyes ! More than a hundred feet astern and drift- 
ing with the current, every moment still farther away, we saw the poor fel- 
low rise to the surface, struggle for a few seconds, and then, buried beneath 
a huge wave, disappear forever from mortal sight, while the shrieking and 
howling winds sounded a requiem over his untimely grave. Sad, indeed, 
were the faces of our crew when it became known that we had lost a man. 

However, we had but little time to indulge in regrets or sorrow, for the 
gale, which had then increased to a furious hurricane, compelled us to make 
extra endeavors for the safety of the vessel and our own lives. She hawsed 
up so badly soon after the event just described, that we were compelled to 
set the riding-sail to keep her more nearly head to the sea. We reduced 
the size of the sail as much as was practicable, by making a "bag reef" in 
it. This was done by tying up the clew and lashing the bottom hoops to- 
gether, which being done, we hoisted it up a little before nine o'clock, A. M. 

Shortly after the riding-sail was set, we had a succession of tremendously 
heavy snow squalls, which blew with a fury I never saw equalled or even 
approached during an experience of thirty years battling with the Atlantic 
storms ; while the snow was so dense that, when we were in the hollow of 
a sea, the top of it could hardly be seen. The Howard quivered and trem- 



190 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

bled like a stricken dolphin, as she struggled with great apparent effort up 
the steep sides of the mountainous waves, which threatened to bury her be- 
neath their curling crests. Even with the small sail which we had set — a 
mere rag in size — and lying nearly head to the wind, she buried her lee side 
nearly to the hatches. To walk against the blast was out of the question, 
and all one could do was to haul themselves along by the life-lines,* or cling 
to the rigging for safety. She plunged so heavily into the waves that the 
jib was soon washed loose from the bowsprit. While I was in the cabin af- 
ter a rope to secure it, a second heavy sea boarded us, breaking over the 
port bow, covering our little vessel nearly out of sight beneath a deluge of 
rushing water and flying spray. When the men on deck saw it coming they 
sprang for the rigging. Two of them, who got on to the fore-gaff, held on 
to the peak halyards, clinging to the ropes with their hands and legs. The 
sea broke so high that both of these men were nearly washed clear of their 
hold, although they were eight to ten feet above the deck. The latter was 
filled with water nearly to the tops of the rails, compelling us to knock off 
some waist boards so that the vessel would clear herself. 

Between the squalls we managed to secure the jib, though it was extreme- 
ly hazardous going out on a bowsprit in such a gale. The squalls had the 
most terrifying appearance that I ever witnessed, as they came tearing down 
from to windward. Black as night and driving the white foam before them, 
they were an awful sight, and enough to strike terror to the hearts of those 
who never felt a sense of fear, and who, even then, when death was immi- 
nent, bravely faced the storm, disdaining to flinch from the peril which duty 
and self-preservation called them to meet. 

Fearing the cable would part, and feeling sure that the vessel would be 
knocked down on her beam ends if she fell off with any sail set, I stationed 
myself at the mainmast, whenever the squalls came along, ready to let the 
riding-sail run down if necessary. When the fourth squall was coming I 
took my usual position, standing on the bit-head of the fife-rail with my 
right foot, and grasping the riding-sail halyards with my right hand. While 
I was standing in this position, and in the midst of a flurry of flying snow, a 
ball of lightningf burst between the masts, and I was knocked insensible to 
the deck. Others of the crew were slightly shocked. As soon they could, 
the men who were on deck ran and picked me up, thinking I was dead, and 
carried me below. 

I would not speak of the intense suffering which I endured for four hours 



*During heavy gales life-lines are generally rigged by stretching, on each side of the ves- 
sel, a rope from the fore-rigging to the main, and from that aft to the davit. 

■fThe men who saw it said it was like a ball of fire, and burst between the masts like a 
rocket. It is probable that a fragment ran down the wet rope to which I was clinging, and 
struck my arm. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 191 

— hours of dreadful agony — while I was being resuscitated, were it not to 
mention the conduct of my men, all of whom showed a devotion and noble- 
ness of spirit rarely equalled and never excelled. Though in almost mo- 
mentary expectation of death themselves, they continued their efforts for my 
relief with extraordinary zeal and coolness. Fortunately I could speak soon 
after being taken into the cabin, and was thus able to direct what should be 
done both for myself and for the safety of the vessel. 

We had only three more squalls after I was struck by lightning ; those 
were not so heavy as the previous ones, and after they were past, the wind 
soon subsided to an ordinary gale. 

After recovering sufficiently to examine my injuries, I found that the light- 
ning had ploughed along my right arm from the wrist to above the elbow, 
scorching it severely \ while five smaller burns were on my right leg below 
the knee, mostly about the ankle. My right side was paralyzed, and I could 
not stand on my feet for several days. 

We started for home as soon as the gale was over, but had a long, hard 
passage. My burns were so painful that when we got as far as Liverpool, 
N. S., we went in there for medical assistance, and arrived home the 23d 
of December. 



THACHER'S ISLAND. 

BY THOMAS J. PARTRIDGE. 

Hail, ye stately columns on that rock-bound isle, 
That cast your lurid warnings for out for many a mile, 
To warn the hardy mariner of the jagged rocks so dread, — 
Who safely into harbor by your brilliant lights is led. 

How sad to part from one avIio has proved a friend in need, 
Or wave adieu to loving ones who come to say, " God-speed ;" 
Thus must the sturdy fisher feel as he leaves thee far astern, 
Bound off for Georges stormy Bank, perhaps ne'er to return. 

Majestic forms 1 you rear your lordly heads as if to emphasize 
The great and glorious good that's done by thy two fiery eyes, 
And when the golden sun is hid behind Bond's rocky sod, 
You throw them far out o'er the sea, from Boon Island to Cape Cod. 

With what an anxious, beating heart have fishers watched for thee, 
When almost home from the Grand Bank or Fundy's stormy sea; 
By signs, log, compass, and by chart and reckoning, they knew 
That Thacher's welcome twin lights must soon come into view. 

Watching as only mortals watch when they know the port is near 
That holds within its sacred walls all they consider dear; 
And when at last their eye doth rest upon thy garnished domes, 
Then bubble up four English words— wife, children, rest and home. 



192 FISHERMEN 'S OWN BOOK. 



Foundering of Schooner Almon Bird. 

Terrible Sufferings of Her Crew — Four of Them Die — Praiseworthy Self- 
Sacrifice of Cape Ann Fishermen. 

Sch. Almon Bird of Rockland, Me., for Alexandria, Va., loaded with plas- 
ter, encountered a severe northeast gale off Monhegan, Sunday evening, 
Jan. i, 1882. At two o'clock, Monday morning, the sea made a clean breach 
over her. The vessel continued to ship heavy seas, all doing more or less 
damage, and at seven o'clock, A. M., when about half way between Boon 
Island and Thacher's Island, some thirty miles off shore, the after hatch 
was stove in by a sea, and the vessel commenced to fill, and there was noth- 
ing to do but to take to the boat and trust to the chances of being picked 
up. One of the boats, containing the only pair of oars, had been washed 
overboard. 

Her crew list was as follows : C. A. Packard, master, of Rockland, Me.; 
William H. Harriman, first mate, of Prospect, Me.; Charles Chaples, second 
mate, of Rockland, Me.; A. B. Henderson, steward, of Friendship, Me. 
Seamen — Allen Small and Horace Small, brothers, of Deer Isle, Me.; Fred. 
Hamilton and Patrick Hogan, of Rockland, Me. 

All were strong, able-bodied seamen, except Horace Small, who was a 
frail lad of sixteen years, who had never been to sea in Winter time, and 
who ran away from home to join his brother on this voyage. He had been 
struck by a heavy sea, knocking him against a cask, breaking his wrist. 
Mr. Harriman, the mate, was also injured in the groin while attempting to 
save the oars. The hatchet was lost overboard in attempting to cut away 
the jib-boom, and the axe shared the same fate while being used to cut away 
the main rail to launch the boat, which was finally got afloat and hastily 
manned, as the vessel was fast sinking. The injured lad was taken from 
the forecastle and put into the boat, but he had no oil clothing, and there 
was no time to get him properly dressed. A few bed clothes and an old 
coat was thrown into the boat, and about a peck of hard bread in a small 
barrel was put on board, with about a quart of rum and three or four quarts 
of oatmeal. Water they had not, and they were without oars or tools except 
a hand saw. In about ten minutes after taking to the boat the schooner 
went to the bottom. 

Before leaving the sinking craft, the mate constructed a drogue, and after 
taking to the boat the barrel containing the ship bread was stove up, and 
with the staves and a new thwart which happened to be in the boat, some 
rude paddles were improvised. The boat lay to the drogue Monday and 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 193 

Monday night. Tuesday morning a fishing schooner was descried in the 
distance, but she passed out of sight. Tuesday afternoon a blanket was 
fastened to the jib and the boat was under sail for a time, but at night it 
breezed up, and fearing in their benumbed and exhausted state to attempt 
to unship the mast and take in sail, the mast was sawn through just above 
the thwarts. The icy spray dashed constantly over the boat, freezing as it 
fell, and everything was covered with a coat of icy mail. The drogue kept 
the boat's head to the sea, but the waves constantly deluged her, and the 
exhausted men were employed all night in bailing. The uncooked oatmeal 
was uneatable, the hard bread was at first so dry as to be swallowed with 
difficulty without water, and afterwards so wet with the spray as to be unfit 
to eat, and the sufferings of the men from cold, hunger and thirst were ex- 
cruciating. Two of the number, Chaples and Hogan, though warned of the 
consequences, endeavored to slake their thirst by eating salt-water ice, and 
the presence of two maniacs was soon added to the other horrors of the sit- 
uation. The quart of rum was carefully husbanded, by administering a tea- 
spoonful at a time, and was made to last until the early part of Wednesday 
evening. 

On Wednesday morning a new step was made to the mast, and the boat 
sailed westward all day and all night. In the afternoon another schooner 
was sighted, but she did not see the boat. During the night a hermaph- 
rodite brig passed close by and was hailed with weakened voices. The 
cries were doubtless heard, as the brig showed a flash light two or three 
times in the darkness, but kept on her course and was soon out of sight. 
About ten o'clock in the evening, the sixteen-year old boy, who had suffered 
greatly from his broken wrist and insufficient clothing, died in his brother's 
arms. He was conscious within an hour of his death, when he said he was 
not afraid to die, and left a loving message for his mother. He had left 
home unbeknown to his parents, who did not know his whereabouts until 
they received the telegraphic dispatch announcing his death. The young 
Irishman, Patrick Hogan, died about an hour after the boy. He had been 
delirious about six hours, talking constantly about something to eat. The 
second mate, Chaples, was delirious about twelve hours, babbling incohe- 
rently all the time. In his delirium he seized the saw, and before he could 
be prevented, sawed his hands terribly with it, the blood spurting over the 
boat. He died about three o'clock, Thursday morning, and his body was 
committed to the deep. 

At daylight on Thursday morning, three fishing vessels were descried at 
no great distance. One of these proved to be the sch. Cora Lee, Capt. 
George A. Saunders, of Pigeon Cove. Her crew consisted of John Hickey, 
Scott Geyer, John Newman, Joseph Sears, Joseph Silva, William Grant, 
Edward Saunders, Joseph Bushy, Joseph White, Joseph Muise, Charles R. 



194 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Goodwin, James E. Tinker, Edward Griffin, and were engaged in setting 
their trawls. When they discovered the unfortunate mariners they immedi- 
ately went to their rescue, and towed the boat to the vessel. The sight was 
one never to be forgotten. The mate, who alone was able to do anything, 
was steering. In the bow lay two dead bodies, frozen stiff and covered with 
ice, so that when the shore was reached they had to be cut out of the boat 
with a hatchet. The captain was lying in the forward part of the boat, with 
both feet frozen above the ankles (he had been thoroughly drenched before 
abandoning the vessel and had no oil clothing excepting an oil-skin coat), 
and the other survivors were half sitting, half reclining about the stern. 
•Hamilton's legs were frozen half way to his knees, and he died on Friday 
evening. The steward and Allen Small suffered less from the frost, and 
the mate had the tips of his fingers only, frozen. . The boat was half full of 
ice and covered with blood, and presented a ghastly spectacle. 

The sufferers were speedily taken on board the Cora Lee, put in berths, 
their clothing changed, and their frozen limbs wrapped in salt. The friend- 
ly fishermen stripped off their own clothing to cover the frozen sailors, and 
some of them came on shore with nothing on but a suit of oil clothes. Tea, 
water and rice broth were administered to the rescued men in small quanti- 
ties, and the vessel abandoned her trawls and started for home. The wind 
was light and she was nearly all day coming in. When about eight miles 
off, Capt. Saunders and two of his crew rowed ashore and made prepara- 
tions for the comfort of the shipwrecked men. Several dories went out to 
meet the Cora Lee and tow her in, taking on board Drs. Sanborn and Tup- 
per, who ministered to the wants of the sufferers in the cabin, and when the 
vessel arrived at 7 P. M., a team was waiting to take the men to Mrs. Ann 
Pierce's house, where they received the kindest attention. 

The captain and crew of the Cora Lee are entitled to much credit for 
their prompt action. Despite the remonstrances of Capt. Packard they aban- 
doned their trawls, of a value of $180, and lost their trip with a probable 
profit of $200 or $300 more. An attempt was made to recover the trawls, 
but in order to do so it was necessary to locate an unmarked spot two-thirds 
of a mile in length, situated forty miles from shore, and the search proved 
unavailing. A sum of money was subscribed, which partially compensated 
for this loss. 

The Almon Bird was valued at $16,000, and there was very little insur- 
ance on her. Capt. Packard was also a heavy loser, losing his instruments, 
charts, clothing, gold watch and chain, etc., of a value of $600 or $700; and 
after arriving home he suffered amputation of portions of his feet. 

In this sad recital of suffering, one thing is prominent — the generous out- 
pouring of volunteered kindness, offered from all sides, by scores of persons, 
eager to help the distressed mariners. To mention all the helpers would 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



r 95 



be to call the roll of almost the entire community of Pigeon Cove. First 
of all, special credit is due to the brave captain and men of the Cora Lee, 
who, at risk and great personal loss, rescued the men from their perilous 
condition j then to Mrs. Pierce, who freely opened her entire house to the 
wrecked men and their numerous attendants. Mrs. Corrinna H. Bishop 
made welcome donations of clothing to every man, and added other contri- 
butions ; Mrs. Levi Robinson assisted freely, and numerous noble women 
acted as nurses many weary hours during the first night and day. All along 
most efficient aid was rendered by Messrs. Leroy Goldsmith, Joseph M. 
Reed, George Cross, Elbridge Witham, William Pike, and very many oth- 
ers. No braver sailors, no kindlier men and women than those of Pigeon 
Cove. Beside all the rest, subscription papers were early passed for money 
to defray the numerous immediate expenses, and the amount on both pa- 
pers reached some $170. 



THE HARBOR BAR 



BY CHARLES BURR TODD. 




A ship has crossed the harbor bar, 
The sunlight glinting on sail and spar : 
Whither she goes, who knows? who knows? 
She carries pearls of lustrous hue, 
Costly fabrics from far Hindoo, 
A tender maid to her lover true. 

The wind has crossed the harbor "bar, 
All armed and panoplied for war : 
Whither it goes, who knows? who knows? 



It darts on the ship far out at sea, 

It tears and rends her with savage glee, 

And, lo ! a wreck drifts wild and free. 

The sea has crossed the harbor bar, 

It hears a potent voice from afar : 

Whither it goes, who knows? who knows? 

Rising upon a land of palms, 

It throws a wreck to sea-walled farms, 

And a lifeless maid to her lover's arms. 



196 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 




Ninety-Three Voyages to Surinam, 

A Remarkable Record. 

Capt. William Tucker of this city has made nine- 
ty-three voyages to Surinam, and has well earned 
the title of the "Veteran Master" in this branch of 
maritime business. He commenced going in 1843, 
and made his last voyage in 188 1. He never had 
•occasion to call upon the underwriters for a cent of 
damage to his vessel, or cargo. The only disasters 
he ever met with was the carrying away a jib-boom, 
the loss of a man and a -main-topmast. Allowing 
fifty days for an average passage to and from that 
port, Capt. Tucker has passed four thousand six 
hundred and fifty days of his life on the water, or 
nearly thirteen years. 
What an experience has been his, sailing smoothly over tropical seas, 
'neath Summer skies, now and then interspersed with the sudden squalls so 
prevalent in those latitudes, running along the low coast of South America, 
looking out for the lightship off the Surinam river, running in and anchor- 
ing off the city, receiving the congratulations of friends, visiting plantations 
and enjoying the many pleasures of that country. Then, on the other hand, 
coming home on a Winter's coast, experiencing all the hardships connected 
therewith ; oftentimes being blown off for a week after sighting the land, 
beating about in the bay, 'mid storm and cold, with anxious hours by day 
and night, longing to get into port and come safely to anchor. 

The Surinam trade, once the pride of old Gloucester, has long since de- 
parted, and there are but few American vessels now engaged therein. The 
old captains who were wont to walk these streets and whose presence was 
so warmly welcomed, have also, for the most part, gone their last voyage 
and found a haven beyond. We call to mind among these, the brothers 
Foster, Thomas, Jere., Benjamin and Joseph; the Sayward brothers, John 
and Samuel; the brothers Center, Solomon and Loami ; Capts. William 
Grover, James Rowe, Solomon H. Davis, Francis Procter, David S. Day, 
John Corliss, William H. Herrick and his son William E. Herrick, Averil 
Rowe, Joseph Procter, Edward Babson, Charles Fitz and Eben Higgins. 
Among those living are, Capts. John Hawson, Nehemiah D. Cunningham, 
John A. Pulcifer, Charles A. Homans and others. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 197 

Recollections of a Veteran Fisherman. 

BY S. B. BROWN. 

When I first went to Gloucester, in 1832, John Wonson, of the Point, 
owned five small vessels, viz. — the Confidence, Lucy, Jane, Luanda, and Benev- 
olence. Edward Wonson, his son, was master of the Benevolence, and another 
son, John, was master of the Luanda. I made one trip with Edward Won- 
son in August, 1832. Our crew consisted of old Charlie Wonson of Rocky 
Neck, Reuben Rich of Cape Cod, Joseph Wonson and James Green of the 
Point, and myself. We had bad luck, so we made but one trip. The next 
year I went to Gloucester, hunted up my old skipper, who was still master 
of the same boat, and went with him that season. 

I recollect well the great school of mackerel that struck Middle Bank 
that year. Sept. 22d, at ten o'clock at night, there were some two hundred 
sail at anchor, twenty-five miles southeast of Eastern Point light, in a dead 
calm, when our skipper sang out, " Here they are, boys ! " At the same 
moment every vessel in the fleet commenced the catch. We fished for three 
days and filled everything, even our boat, and struck on deck until we were 
in fish knee-deep. Then, a breeze springing up, we ran in and packed out 
two hundred and eighty barrels, and returned to the Bank just as the wind 
left us. We fished three days more, when they struck off as suddenly as 
they had come. 

Now, just as I have got a range of memory overhauled and am picking up 
a few incidents, the "Advertiser" comes in. I stop writing and open the 
dear old sheet, when the first article that meets my eyes is, " Around the 
Wharves of old Old Gloucester Half a Century Ago," in which I find much 
that I was familiar with, as vessels belonging to S. W. Brown, the Lapwing, 
John Edgar, master, Henrietta, Reform, etc., etc., and others belonging to 
Epes Merchant & Son. I knew John and Harry Pew, when in the Volant 
and Romeo, and John Hammond of the Brilliant, afterwards of the Warrior, 
of same owners. 

In April, 1837, I came on the coast in the brig Oak of Baltimore, from 
Smyrna, for Boston. When on Georges we ran into the fleet of fishermen 
at anchor, just at daybreak. Spoke sch. Fair America, John Wonson, mas- 
ter, wind blowing heavy from south-southwest, with snow. Capt. W T onson 
informed us, in language peculiar to himself, that he would not heave up 
his anchor, but would sink her first. It was generally supposed that he did 
go down, as he was never known to be spoken afterwards. We ran in com- 
pany with the smack Ben. Franklin, Ben. Norwood, master, which went 



198 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



down in the same gale. She was owned by S. W. Brown. She and the sch. 
Canton came out new that Spring, and were rivals ; they both left the Bank 
at the same time, and both carried sail heavily ; but, as both captains were 
much censured at the time for carrying sail so heavily, I will only say we 
saw the Franklin come up in the wind, evidently to shake the snow from 
her sails in a heavy snow squall, after which we saw no more of her. After 
it cleared somewhat, we saw the Canton under snug sail. I went to Glouc- 
ester that Summer and sailed in sch. Clarion, Capt. James Elwell. 

Since I left Gloucester I have visited a great many ports of the world, 
and in whatever place I found a Cape Ann man, if in want, he had half of 
my pile, if necessary, and so it would be to-day. 

The place then called the "Farms," between the old Farm Ledge and 
the stone barn once belonging to Mr. Manning, always had a great attrac- 
tion for me. If I could talk with you I could tell you much of old Glouces- 
ter. I used to know every point of interest between Kettle Cove (now 
Magnolia) down to Sandy Bay (now Rockport). 

But I will not put any more thoughts on paper, but will say in conclusion, 
whatever fate may be mine, there are friends in old Gloucester that I shall 
cherish while I am conscious, although they have lost all knowledge of me 
for over forty years. They are still held in the same esteem as if they were 
friends of yesterday. Those days are remembered as the happiest of my 
life, and my last dying wish will be — God bless and prosper old Gloucester 
and all her children and interests. I am no writer, only an old wornout 
sailor, waiting the word to cross over to a higher life. 

I was well acquainted with Edward Wonson, Chester Marr, Sr., Nathan- 
iel Webster, Sr., James Hibbard, James Elwell, Ben. Elwell, Albert Mar- 
chant, Simeon Burnham, James Marchant, each of the elder Peabodys, Ad- 
dison Merchant, James Pattillo, and hundreds of others. Most of the old 
stock are probably dead, say — Phil. Priestly, Capt. Charles Wood, and Capt. 
George Brown of the sloop Henry, which ran forty-five years ago as a 
freighter to Boston. 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 199 



Making a Harbor in a Snow Storm. 

BY J. W. COLLINS. 

No incident in the passage home, in Winter, causes greater anxiety than 
that of approaching the land during an easterly wind, which is almost always 
a stormy one on our coast. The fisherman, anxious to reach home, piles on 
the canvas, and if there is sufficient wind the little schooner is driven to her 
utmost. As long as the weather remains clear all is well ; but it frequently 
happens that snow storms come on suddenly just at that critical period when 
the vessel is nearing the land. The result of this is that she is often caught 
on a lee shore, with a fast increasing gale, while the snow is so dense that 
even the most daring will scarcely venture the attempt to make the land, 
knowing full well that it would be almost madness to do so. The only al- 
ternative is to come to anchor or " haul off" and try to keep off the rocks. 

The following extract may serve to give an idea of the difficulties of ap- 
proaching the coast in a storm, even in comparatively moderate weather. 
These difficulties are much increased when the wind blows a gale, and many 
thrilling adventures have been encountered in Massachusetts Bay by the 
Gloucester fishermen while endeavoring to make a harbor : 

On Thursday, Jan. 16, 1879, at four o'clock in the morning, Thacher's 
Island lights were in sight from deck. At this time there was a slight breeze 
from the southeast, but it soon died out, and we lay becalmed with the 
exception of occasional cat's paws, which came from all points of the com- 
pass. There were indications of a storm, which gave me much uneasiness. 
My anticipations were soon realized, for it began to snow before daylight, 
and in a few minutes the air was full of the soft feathery flakes, which effect- 
ually shut out from view every object at a greater distance than one or two 
hundred fathoms. All hands were called out to pound the ice off of our 
cable and running rigging, since it is of the highest importance to have 
everything ready for anchoring or taking in sail when approaching the land, 
especially in thick weather. Although it continued calm during the early 
part of the forenoon, the barometer fell very rapidly, giving indications of 
an approaching gale, which might be expected in a few hours ; consequently 
I determined to make the land if possible. One of the most unpleasant and 
dangerous positions that one can be in is to be caught on a lee shore in 
Winter when an easterly gale is accompanied — as it generally is — by a 
blinding snow storm. 

About ten o'clock in the forenoon the wind breezed up from the southeast 
and increased quite fast. We ran for Eastern Point as nearly as I could 



2oo FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

judge, the various courses and distances which we had steered during the 
morning, in consequence of the baffling winds, rendering it somewhat uncer- 
tain in what direction the Point lay from us. Soon after the wind came, 
the snow cleared up so that objects could be seen about a mile distant. 
We saw a shore fishing vessel — a haddock catcher — coming astern, and 
wishing to speak with her we hauled our sheets aft and let her run up on 
us. She proved to be the David F. Low, bound to Gloucester, having run 
across from Cape Cod. She ran ahead of us a little way, and just before 
we saw the land the snow came down so thick that we lost sight of her. 

Knowing that we were close in and fast approaching the shore, all hands 
were on deck and on the alert to do any duty which circumstances might 
demand. A dozen pairs of eyes peered out ahead, anxiously watching to 
catch a glimpse of the land or breakers. A few minutes later the thrilling 
cry of, " Land ho ! breakers ahead ! " came from a half dozen at once, and 
a line of white foam and the snow-covered shore above it were indistinctly 
seen to leeward. " Hard down! hard down the helm!" was the order 
shouted to the wheelsman, for so close in were we that any delay in chang- 
ing the course of the vessel must have resulted in piling her up on the 
rocks. As the wheel was put down and the vessel came to the wind, most 
of the men, in obedience to orders, quickly pulled in the sheets, while the 
rest of us strained our eyes to make out some familiar object on the shore 
whereby we might be certain of our position. 

We made the land a little to the westward of Bass Rocks. When we first 
saw it we were running in with the sails on the port side, the wind at that 
time blowing a smart breeze from south-southeast, and as we hauled to, just 
clearing the surf on. the shore, we fortunately saw and recognized the Sum- 
mer houses which are only a short distance from the water. As soon as I 
was sure of our "land fall," we tacked and ran for Eastern Point, following 
the line of breakers along the shore as near as safety permitted. Every eye 
was now on the watch for well-known land-marks, and soon the spray dash- 
ing over Brace's Cove Rock was seen, and a few minutes later we went 
sweeping in by the Point, near enough to it to catch a momentary glimpse 
of the white tower of the lighthouse, and to hear the hoarse-toned fog-bell 
which rang out its notes of warning. 

We could now laugh at the storm, and the broad grin which appeared on 
the bronzed faces of many of our crew and the shrugging and chuckling of 
others gave ample evidence of the general feeling of satisfaction among all 
hands. 

After anchoring, I went ashore and sold the trip of fish, but, as there 
were strong indications of a coming gale, and the wind already blew strong, 
we decided to let the vessel remain in the stream until the next day. Before 
the men went home we let go the second anchor and made all necessary 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 201 

preparations for the safety of the vessel. As soon as the work was com- 
pleted we went ashore, some going to their boarding houses and others to 
their homes. The increasing wind whirled and blustered the fast falling 
snow in a manner that was anything but pleasant to the wayfarers who were 
obliged, as we were, to meet and face the storm. 

My family, the members of which had been picturing me as struggling 
with the tempest at sea, received an unexpected and pleasant surprise when, 
with my rubber suit on and covered with snow, I opened the kitchen door 
and suddenly entered the room. One general exclamation of, "O ! father," 
came from my children, as they sprang with open arms to greet me. The 
joy of such meetings can, however, be better imagined than described ; suf- 
fice it to say that such are the brightest spots, the oases, so to speak, in a 
fisherman's life, and none but those who have been separated under similar 
circumstances from those they love can realize the pleasure of such home 
comings : 

" It scatters sunshine o'er our way, 
And turns our thorns to roses ; 
It changes weary night to day, 
And hope and love discloses." 



AN OLD BOAT. 








I passed a boat, to-day, on the shore, 
That will be launched on the sea no more. 

Worn and battered — the straight keel bent, 
The side, like a ruined rampart, rent. 

Left alone, with no covering, 

For who would steal such a useless thing? 

It was shapely once, when the shipwright's 

hand 
Had laid each plank as the master planned ; 

And it danced for joy on the curling wave, 
When first the sea's broad breast it clave. 

And it felt the pulse of the well-timed stroke 



That rang on the thole-pin of tuneful oak. 

Oft it has carried home the spoil 
Of fishers, tired with night-long toil ; 

And often, in Summer days, it knew 
The laugh of a pleasure-seeking crew ; 

Or, launched by night on the blinding waves, 
It has rescued a life from the sea's dark 
graves. 

It is useless now as it lies on the beach, 
Drawn high beyond the billow's reach; 

And none of all it has served in stress 
Remember it now in its loneliness. 



202 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



Hand-Line Mackerel Fishing. 

BY AARON LIGHTFOOT. 

The amount of moral courage and Christian fortitude required for a lands- 
man to get up out of a comfortable bed and struggle up on a cold, wet, 
cheerless deck to handle cold, wet lines and colder, wetter fish, all for the 
"experience," will never be known except by those who have allowed them- 
selves to be deluded into the thing. It is diabolical. Now the mainsail is 
up, the jib down, and the captain is throwing bait. It is not yet quite light, 
but we hear other mainsails going up all around us. A cold, drizzling rain 
does not add to the comfort of the situation, and we stand around shivering, 
half asleep, with our sore hands in our wet pockets, about as "demmed, 
moist, uncomfortable bodies," as ever dear old Mantilini saw, and all wish- 
ing we were home, and had never heard of a mackerel. The skipper, how- 
ever, is holding his lines over the rail with an air which clearly intimates 
that the slightest kind of a nibble will be quite sufficient this morning to seal 
the doom of the unfortunate mack. 

"There, by Jove! the captain's hauling back — I told you so! Skipper's 
got him — no — ah, captain, you haul back too savagely ! " 

With the first movement of the captain's arm indicating the presence of 
fish, everybody rushes madly to the rail, and jigs are heard on all sides 
plashing into the water, and eager hands and arms are stretched at their 
full length over the side, feeling anxiously for a nibble. 

" Sh — hish !" there's something just passed my fly — I felt him," says an 
old man standing alongside of me. " Yes, and I've got him," triumphantly 
shouts out the next man on the other side of him, hauling in, as he speaks, 
a fine mackerel and striking him off into the barrel in the -most approved 
style. 

Z-z-z-zip goes my line through and deep into my poor fingers, as a huge 
fellow rushes savagely away with what he finds is not so great a prize as he 
fondly supposed. I get greatly flurried, miss stroke half a dozen times in 
as many fathoms of line, and at length succeed in landing my first fish safe- 
ly in my barrel, where he lies floundering, "melancholy and melodious," as 
my next neighbor styles it. 

Daylight soon dawns, and the rain, which has been threatening very 
moistly all night, begins to pour down in dead earnest ; and as the big drops 
patter in the sea the fish begin to bite furiously. 

" Shorten up ! " says the skipper, and we shorten in our lines to about 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 203 

eight feet from the rail to the hooks, when we can fork them in just as fast 
as we can move our hands and arms. " Keep your lines clear ! " is now the 
word, as the doomed fish flip faster and faster into the barrels. Every face 
wears an expression of anxious determination. Everybody moves as though 
he had a full set of very elastic springs within him ; every heart beats loud 
with excitement, and every hand hauls in fish and throws out hooks with a 
method ; cool precision, a kind of slow haste, which unites the greatest 
speed with the utmost security against foul lines. 

The rain momentarily increases. We hear jibs rattling down ; and glanc- 
ing up hastily I am surprised to find our vessel surrounded on all sides by 
the fleet, which has already become aware that we have fish alongside. 

Meantime the wind rises, the sea struggles against the rain, which is en- 
deavoring with its steady patter to quiet the turmoil of old ocean. We are 
already on our third barrel of fish, each, and still they come as fast as ever, 
and the business (sport it ceased to be some time ago) continues wit^ °* l A r 

minished vigor. Streams of perspiration course down our r "' T , . 

49 . , *. ?- iaces. Jackets, 

caps, and even our shirts are thrown off to give grp~'"" t , ,. , 

^ ' ° *>-_-ater freedom to limbs 

that are worked to their utmost. 9^ 

"Hello! where are the fish?" calls oi if ^'' u ■, ■, , n 

^L somebody; and sure enough, all 
at once the whole business comes to ; 1, 1 ..,, ., c , , ., 

, r *a standstill — the fish have apparently 

" " ® t for not the faintest nibble does one fisher- 

man get. The mackerel, whic' „ „, _ ... r • 1 i_> i_ j 

° ' ,..n a moment ago were fairly rushing on board, 

have in that moment disapi.' v ^j „^ 1 * , iU , • c • i c 

, Reared so completely that not a sign of one is left. 

The vessel next under o:„ i.. u„*j„ +u r**i 1 *x. u a 

,. jr lee holds them a little longer than we, but they 

finallv also disappear f m Ua ^ • » A , „ , 

*7 rom her side. And so on all around us. 
And now we hav, «.• Q , n *< , , . 

, B time to look around us ; to compare notes on each 

other s success ; tr straighten our backbones, nearly broken and aching hor- 
ribly with consta jtly reachmg over . to examme our fi n g er s, cut to pieces 
and grown as s; nsationIess as a piece of galt . nk with the perpetual drag . 
ging of smaU J nes across them< 




2o 4 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



"Setting Under Sail." 

BY DICK SKYLIGHT. 

The term, "set under sail," or " flying set," implies that the vessel, instead 
of being anchored, as is the most common way on the Banks when trawls are 
to be set, is kept under way, the performance taking place as follows : 

If a "set under sail" is decided upon, the depth of the water is first as- 
certained by sounding where the skipper intends to set his apparatus and 
begin his fishing. He then directs the dories to be made ready. This sets 
all hands on the alert, especially the crews of the top dories, who quickly 
arrange in them the buoys, buoy-lines, etc., that are required. Having 
ri°-o-ed th*?ir "black-balls" and prepared the lines for running, the dories 
are hoisted over tl\ e ra il, where they are left to hang until the next are ready, 
when they are lowered into the water. Dropping aft on the quarter, they 
are held there while one ot flje two men who form the crew leaps in and re- 
ceives the complement of trawls— #n operation requiring no little skill and 
confidence in one's sea-legs when the \ vater is at a11 rough. This done, his 
mate also gets in, and the boat is paid astSP 1 . the painter being fastened to 
the davit. Meanwhile, the two middle and the bottom dories are being pre- 
pared and hoisted out in a similar way. 

When the six dories are ready, and the proper ti!P e nas arrived, the skip- 
per shouts to one of the men in the first boat, " Hcf ve out vour buo y ! " 
This buoy, remember, marks the position of one end d* " ie trawl, for to it 
is attached the anchor which holds the ground line in its pl. ace - As tne buoy- 
line is running out and the boat is about to be cast off, the'^^pper instructs 
the men in which direction to row while setting the trawl. This is gener- 
ally to leeward and in a straight line at right angles to the course of the 
vessel. A moment later the same orders are given to the nexT dory s crew 
for setting the second trawl at a suitable distance from the first, and so on 
until the whole six have been set out. Spread along in this way, , a ' gang 
of trawls will generally cover two or three square miles. 

The act of setting the trawl is performed in the following mannei* : Be- 
fore the buoy line is all out, one of the men lifts a skate of trawl on. to tne 
after thwart and attaches the end of the trawl to the anchor, whit?" ne 
throws overboard. Then, while his mate rows away, he lets the traw* s %° 
out, throwing hook after hook, so that they shall not become fouled, w'hen 

*This description of setting a halibut trawl will answer equally well for a cod or haddo' c ^ 
trawl, the only difference being that the latter are stowed in tubs instead of skates, and tL' e 
hooks are closer together. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 205 

one skate is out another is knotted to it, and the performance goes on until 
all of the trawl is disposed of. When the end of it is reached it is bent to 
the last anchor and buoy, these also being thrown, the process is completed. 

The first crew are usually nearly done with their work by-the time the ves- 
sel has let go her sixth dory, so she immediately turns back and picks up this 
and the other boats in succession. This clone, she lies by until it is time to 
haul, when the vessel is run along from buoy to buoy, dropping each dory 
near its own trawl. The holding up of an oar is a signal that the men have 
finished hauling their trawl or want help, seeing which the vessel runs down 
and receives the cargo or takes the boat in tow. 

The act of "picking up" a dory while under sail is a manoeuvre requiring 
considerable skill, and it occasionally happens that the boat is struck by the 
vessel and the occupants are thrown into the water. An accident of this 
kind happened in my own experience in the Summer of 1879. Running 
the vessel to leeward of one of our dories, I put the wheel down, intending 
to tack short of her and lay to with the jib to windward while she came 
alongside. The vessel ranged further ahead than usual, and struck the dory 
a glancing blow with her bow. I should have righted the wheel and cleared 
her, but a man sang out that she was all right, and, as I could not see her 
myself, I supposed she was, until another exclaimed, "My God! she's hit 
the dory, and there's three men overboard." 

The jib had caught aback at this time, and as the wheel was rolled hard 
down, I shouted, " Heave out that lee dory as quick as you can and pick 
them up." Running to assist in getting the dory out, I saw two of the 
men climbing over the vessel's bow. They came to help us, exclaiming, 
"Sank's* in the water; let's hurry up." Although we made all possible 
haste, by the time the dory was well clear of the vessel's side with two men 
pulling their utmost, I saw the other dory uninjured on our weather quarter 
and "Sank" standing in her dripping wet, his face streaming with blood. 
Like the others, he had attempted to jump and catch the bowsprit rigging, 
but the vessel's bow was falling, and something struck his head, cutting a 
gash more than an inch long, and knocking him backward into the water. 
Fortunately he was not stunned, and when he rose to the surface he grasped 
the gunwale of the dory and hauled himself into her. Nothing daunted by 
his mishap, his first words to his shipmates were : "I'm the proper lad to 
go haddocking ;f it don't bother me much to be run down." The words 
were uttered with a carelessness of tone, and a quiet laugh that showed an 
utter disregard of such dangers. 



•A young man whom, on account of his proficiency in singing hymns, we nicknamed 
" Sankey," and this had become abbreviated into " Sauk." 

fVessels employed in the Winter haddock fisheries almost always set under sail, and their 
men are therefore more liable than any others to this particular accident. 



206 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



In a Fog on the Banks. 



The accompanying engraving gives 
H a vivid illustration of one of the dan- 
gers incident to the fisheries — that of 
being run down in the fog while at 
anchor. We have heard of numerous 
narrow escapes from this danger, where 
a slight deviation from the course of 
the vessel under sail, or a moment's 
delay in changing the position of the 
Ufll vessel at anchor, by paying out the ca- 
BU ble, would have added another to the 
S list of lost fishermen. It is supposed 
that the Guy Cunningham was run 
down by a steamer ; and no doubt 
many others of whom no tidings have 
been heard, have shared the same fate. 
During the night a light is kept in the 
rigging, and fog-horns are frequently blown during the day. The utmost 
precaution is necessary to avoid the dangers which a thick fog engenders, 
and the lookout's position on board all vessels crossing the Banks, as well 
as on board the fishermen, is one of great responsibility. 




Lines on the Loss of Schooner "Guy Cunningham," and in Memory of Her 
Master, Captain Daniel O'Brien. 

BY S. 

>Twas July thirty, eighty-one, a beauteous Summer day; 

The schooner staunch, Guy Cunningham, for Grand Bank sailed away, 

Manned by a crew of hardy men — none braver ere set sail 

To haul the trawl in Summer's calm, or meet the Wintry gale. 

Eight fearless men of the thirteen were free from marriage ties ; 
One's darling bairns were far away, beneath the Swedish skies ; 
And four in Gloucester had their homes, with wives and children dear, 
When for the Banks they sailed away, nor thought that death was near. 

No storms arose the sea to vex; no angry billows' roar 
Disturbed the seamen's hour of rest, when the day's toil was o'er ; 
Each morn the laden trawls were hauled, the finny treasures stored ; 
The time drew nigh when safe at home their vessel should be moored. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



207 



Alas ! that such a peaceful scene should hide so dread a foe ! 

Alas ! that no precaution can guard against the blow I 

Alasl that sailors brave must drown, and wives and children weep, 

Though winds are soft, and seas are smooth, and crews their vigils keep ! 

No fear of ill their dreams disturb — no dread of danger near — 
By gentle billows rocked, their thoughts are with their loved ones dear. 
Out from the mist a sail gleams forth — a mammoth hull draws nigh — 
A shock ! a crash 1 the crew go down with one despairing cry I 

At home their dear ones watch and wait, and wait and watch in vain ; 
The sailor-husbands, dearly loved, will never come again. 
No sturdier crew than sailed the " Guy" e'er manned a fishing boat, 
None braver than her skipper bold e'er trod the deck afloat. 

An aged mother mourns the son she soon will meet above; 
A sister mourns a brother dear whose every look was love ; 
A widow mourns a husband true, the wreck of prospects fair, 
And children three are left behind without a father's care. 

The five days' babe he left behind when bidding home good-bye, 
"Will never know how great a loss that deadly hour brought nigh. 
But God is good, and he has power the balm of peace to pour 
On bleeding hearts, and comfort bring from out his bounteous store. 




2 o8 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



Around the Wharves of Old Gloucester Half 
a Century Ago. 

Names of Those Then Engaged in the Fisheries, ivith the Names of Most of 
the Fleet and Their Skippers. 

As we thought of the large and important fishing interests of Gloucester 
the current year of 1882, with the fleet of first-class schooners, employing 
at sea and on land nearly six thousand men, with their annual product ex- 
ceeding four millions of dollars, we had a strong desire to give a pen picture 
of the appearance of the wharves, and recall to mind the fishing owners and 
some of the skippers and vessels which constituted the fishing interest of 
the town of Gloucester half a century ago. 

To this end we held pleasant interviews with Messrs. William Babson, 
George Merchant, Gorham Parsons, Epes W. Merchant, Stephen J. Martin, 
B. H. Corliss and George W. Plumer, and from them have gained the fol- 
lowing facts. There may possibly be a few trifling discrepancies, but the 
account in the main will be found correct. 

In imagination, reader, let us take a walk about the wharves, see who 
was carrying on the business, look at the vessels and have a chat with some 
of the skippers of 1830-31-32. Commencing near the Fort, we find the 
remains of a cob and ballast wharf, on the site of Messrs. Cunningham & 
Thompson's premises, then owned by Gorham Parsons and occupied by 
John W. Lowe and Joseph Johnson Procter, which was in rather a dilapi- 
dated condition and but little used. Then came a graving dock occupied 
by the Gaffney Brothers, where vessels were hauled up for repairs, and for 
caulking and graving. 

The wharf of Messrs. Maddocks & Co., which, of course, has been 
greatly improved since those days, was then occupied by Matthew Gaffney 
and William. Ellery, who carried on the fishing business under the firm name 
of Ellery & Gaffney. Their vessels were as follows : Schs. Harvey Birch, 
Capt. J. M. Parsons ; Sevo, Rising Empire, and Ida, the latter commanded 
by Capt. Job Rowe, and .the Charles. The Amazon also fitted with them 
and was owned by Daniel Gaffney. 

Joseph Johnson Procter and John W. Lowe also occupied the wharf then 
known as Mechanics' wharf, now owned by Messrs. Swett & Co. Their 
vessels were : Sarah, Tarn O'Shanter, Metamora, Euphrates, Triumph, Supe- 
rior, and perhaps others. 

Samuel Gilbert then carried on the fisheries at the wharf next to the 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 209 

Town Landing, then and now known as Gilbert's wharf, occupied at pres- 
ent by Francis W. Homans. His fleet comprised the Phoenix ; Economy, 
Capt. Jonathan Gilbert ; Sea Serpent, Capt. Nathaniel Thurston ; Addison, 
Arab; and Shamrock, William Marshall, skipper. 

James Mansfield & Sons' came next. Wharf now occupied and the busi- 
ness continued by successors under the same style. The wharf extended 
far out into the harbor on account of the flats. They owned and fitted 
schs. Susan and Eliza, Capt. Elias H. Day ; Abigail, Capt. William Shackel- 
ford ; Ann and Mary, Capt. John M. Parsons. The last-named schooner 
was scuttled inside of Rocky Neck during the war of 1812, to preserve her 
from the English cruisers. The rigging and materials were stored in the 
barn of the old Low mansion house in Town Parish. After the war, Mr. 
William Pew went master of her, and in three Grand Bank trips in one year 
stocked $10,000, without bounty and oil. Their other vessels were: Dili- 
gent, Alary Elizabeth ; Industry, Capt. George Gerring ; Active; Leader, Capt. 
Samuel Curtis ; Friendship, Capt. Gorham Riggs ; and Hornet. 

Next to the Mansfields' came the wharf then owned by Zachariah Stevens, 
where the Riggs Brothers subsequently carried on the fishing business. 

The wharf now owned by Charles H. Boynton was then owned by Charles 
L. Roberts, who had the schs. Frances and Elizabeth, Alary, and perhaps 
others. 

Dr. Coffin's adjoined this. It was a small wharf and a noted resort, where 
Town Meeting orators, waxing warm with each other in the discussion of 
local affairs, would adjourn to and fight it out. It was the scene of many a 
hotly contested rough-and-tumble fight over questions which agitated the 
minds of those who were interested in town affairs — and perhaps had im- 
bibed too much of the famous New England rum of that period. There 
was not much business done at this wharf, as it served more for a landing 
place for small boats. Mr. Gorham Burnham commenced his blacksmith- 
ing business at this wharf. 

Next to Dr. Coffin's was the Central Wharf, now owned by Charles H. 
Boynton. For many years it was occupied by David Pearce, who was largely 
engaged in the West India trade. William Pearce & Sons had a distillery 
on this wharf, which was destroyed in the great fire of 1S30. Cargoes of 
Surinam molasses were here landed and made into rum. There were also 
two small wharves adjoining, owned respectively by Abraham Sawyer and 
Daniel Gaffney. 

William Parsons, Jr., had the wharf now owned by George Steele. He 
owned and fitted schs. Peacock, Capt. Benjamin Rowe ; Hussah, Capt. John 
Blatchford ; Herald; Amaranth, Capt. George Blatchford ; Mariner, Capt. 
Charles Wood ; Henrietta, Capt. William Dolliver ; William, Capt. William 
Blatchford ; Six Brothers, and the Illinois. 



2io FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Then came the wharf of Joseph Smith,"now part of the property of Messrs. 
Clark & Somes. 

Frederick G. Low had a large wharf on the site known as the Sargent 
wharf, now occupied by Mr. John G. Bennett. He was largely engaged in 
the wood and coal business. 

John Honnors' wharf was a portion of the wharf property now owned by 
Mr. Robert Fears on Duncan street. He owned and fitted schs. Nymph, 
Glide, Favorite, Yarico, Ariel, Myrrh, and Ospray. 

Where the gas wharf now is was a stone wharf occupied by Mr. Calvin 
Swift, engaged in the fish oil business. 

Sargent's wharf then occupied the premises now known as Andrew Leigh- 
ton's wharf. There was also a small wharf adjoining, known as Caswell's 
wharf, used for the graving business. 

The Col. Pearce wharf occupied the site of the wharf property of Michael 
Walen & Son. This property has been greatly changed and improved. It 
was a great wharf in those times, where foreign commerce was carried on, 
and was the scene of great business activity. 

In Vincent's Cove there was a small wharf, the premises now owned by 
B. F. Cook. It was then owned by Samuel Caswell. Then came a little 
wharf, now owned by John Nelson, and Capt. Israel Trask's wharf, where 
Chresten Nelson is now engaged in business. 

At Vincent's Point, Messrs. Caswell & Leighton carried on the fisheries, 
now known as William H. Friend's wharf. They owned schs. Ontario, Is- 
aac Day, master; Volant, Benjamin Rowe, master; Lady of the Lake, Cyrus 
Story, master ; Decatur, Monroe, Robert Rantoul, and a freighter commanded 
by Capt. Benjamin Brooks, of Rockport. 

Brown & Woodbury's wharf, since purchased by John Pew & Son, form- 
ing one of their four wharves at Rowe's Bank, came next. Among the ves- 
sels which they owned and fitted, were schs. Lapwing, Reform, Antelope ; 
Enterprise, Capt. Jonathan Burnham ; Henrietta, Capt. Gorham Riggs ; Ol- 
ive Branch, Capt. Samuel Dowle ; Falcon, and Independence. 

Where George Todd's coal wharf now is was at that time occupied by 
Richard Friend & Sons, who owned and fitted schs. Monticello, Capt. Joseph 
Herrick ; Martha Washington, Capt. George Watson ; Cion, Capt. John 
Blatchford ; Laurel, Capt. George Blatchford ; Columbus, Capt. Lemuel 
Friend ; Three Sisters, Capt. Josiah Norwood ; Fresident, Capt. William S. 
Friend ; Branch, Capt. Simeon Burnham ; Splendid, a freighter, Capt. Fred- 
eric Norwood ; Four Sisters, a freighter commanded by Capt. Simeon Burn- 
ham ; Emerald, Capt. James Norwood ; and Olinda. 

Epes Merchant & Son carried on business at the wharf now owned by 
Sylvanus Smith. The vessels they owned and fitted were the Wasp, Capt. 
Charles Merchant ; Emblem, Capt. Elisha Smith ; Orontes, Capt. Henry 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 211 

Merchant ; Brilliant, Capt. John Hammond ; Volant, Capt. John Pew ; Bo- 
rneo, Capt. Henry Pew ; Faragon, Capt. William Tarr. 

William Parkhurst had a small wharf near the premises now owned by 
Messrs. Shute & Merchant. He owned and fitted schs. Fair American, Capt. 
John Wonson ; Ida, of which he was master ; and the Science, owned and 
commanded by Capt. David Parkhurst. 

At Deacon Andrew Parker's wharf, now owned by Charles Harriman, was 
the sch. Brainard, of which he was master and owner ; also the Good Bitent, 
Capt. Charles Brown. 

On the premises now occupied by Sayward Brothers was a small wharf 
or landing where two vessels were owned and fitted by Daniel Sayward & 
Sons — schs. Helen Marr and Delegate. 

There was not a building or wharf on the Plain, or at Clay Cove, with the 
exception of a small landing belonging to Daniel Norwood, at the foot of 
what is now Hammond street. 

At East Gloucester, Benjamin Parsons had a small wharf at what is now 
the premises of William Parsons, 2d, & Co. He owned and fitted schs. Su- 
san Eliza, B. Parsons, Jr., master ; Protector, Martha Eliza, and others. 

John Wonson's wharf was on the site of that now occupied by William 
C. Wonson & Co. He owned and fitted schs. Benevolence, licandas, Essex, 
Confidence, boat lucy, and others. 

Giles & Wonson, on the premises now occupied by Wonson Brothers, and 
previously by George F. Wonson & Co., owned and fitted schs. Nautilus, J. 
F. Wonson, master ; Forest, Capt. Stephen Rich ; Good Hope, Augusta, Mt. 
Vernon, Eagle, 21ger, and others. 

There was also a small landing near the premises now occupied by the 
Ferry Landing, owned by Benjamin Smith. There was no wharf at Rocky 
Neck. 

This, so far as we have learned, comprises the names of those engaged in 
the fisheries half a century ago, and the vessels of the fleet. But few square- 
sterners were among them ; but nearly all were pinkeys of about forty tons 
burthen, with three sails, and valued at about $1,500 each. In 1840 the 
catch of mackerel for the season was only about 8,000 barrels, and the total 
product of the fisheries for the year was only $500,000. The fishing busi- 
ness at this port was at its lowest ebb of depression ; but in 1843 an d '44 
there began to be a great improvement. The old class of vessels were sold 
to go "Down East," where some of them are still running, and the shipyards 
of Essex were busily employed for years in furnishing a superior class of 
vessels which the vigorous prosecution of the new branches of the fisheries 
— Georges and Grand Bank for halibut, and Bay of St. Lawrence for mack- 
erel — required. 

Let the reader commence his walk at the Fort and proceed to Rocky 



212 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Neck with this list of wharves, and notice the great improvements which the 
last half-century has made, and the surprise will be great. The entire wa- 
ter front to the Neck is mostly occupied by substantial wharves and fine 
buildings thereon, representing business energy and a determination to im- 
prove the natural facilities which have been so lavishly bestowed. The 
march of improvement must continue. Rocky Neck has many valuable 
wharf lots, and in the course of time we predict that the coves and shores 
on the southeasterly side of the harbor will be converted into wharf prop- 
erty; for Gloucester's advance the next fifty years will, undoubtedly, be 
fully as rapid as that which has characterized her past half-century. 



THE JOLLY YACHTSMAN. 




Who would not a jolly yachtsman be, 

Upon a Summer's day, 
Dressed in a nobby suit of blue, 

Go dancing o'er the bay? 

In his natty yacht so neat and trim, 

His comfort and his pride, 
Freed from city's noise and dust, 

He enjoys the ocean ride. 

He cares not for strolls upon the beach, 
Or drives o'er bill and dale — 

His pleasures lie in the speedy craft 
With flowing sheet and bellying sail 



Filled by balmy winds of June 

From off our western shore, 
Laden with odors from blossoming trees — 

Give him this, and he asks no more. 

To while away his leisure hours 

And rest his weary limbs, 
The yacht to him is an easy chair, 

As o'er the wave she skims. 

With hull as smooth as polished steel, 

Sails white as drifting snow, 
With lockers stocked with goodies — 

Who would not a yachting go ? 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 213 



The Haddock Fisheries— Then and Now. 

Marked Changes within a Half -Century. 

BY CAPT. STEPHEN J. MARTIN. 

My recollection of the haddock fishery extends back to the days of my 
boyhood at East Gloucester, in 1832. From 1832 to about 1838 Amos 
Story and Jefferson Rowe would go out at daylight and be back at 8 A. M. 
with a dory full of haddock, dress them, and go out in the afternoon, catch 
another dory load, and be back at 4 P. M. in season to dress their fare be- 
fore nightfall. They would go no farther than the Old Pine Tree. I have 
known them to load their dories on a ledge between Ten Pound Island and 
Niks' Wharf. 

In the years 1838 and 1839 I went fishing from Eastern Point in a boat 
called the Eastern Star. When the haddock came on the coast in April we 
tended Boston market with haddock, and would be on the fishing ground 
at daylight, catch what we could ourselves and buy all we wanted from the 
dories at one cent per fish, and start for market. The Eastern Star was four- 
teen tons, with no bowsprit. If we got two cents apiece for our fish we 
thought we were doing well. 

The haddock remained inshore and were caught in the harbor until 185 1. 
In 185 1 James Coas and myself loaded a fifteen-foot dory twice in one day, 
within two miles of the mouth of the harbor. From that time until 1864 
the boats caught their haddock from three to four miles from the shore. 
From 1832 to 1845 tne haddock were taken with hand-lines. 

In the year 1864 Capt. Daniel Douglass fitted out the schooner Romp for 
haddocking. There was a good deal of talk at the time because he went 
haddocking in so large a vessel, her measurement being 66 tons. He car- 
ried four dories, five hundred hooks to a dory, and fished on the Inner 
Bank. Some days he would catch 40,000 lbs., and sell them for 75 cents 
a hundred, by count. Now the haddock vessels carry six dories, 1,200 
hooks to a dory. 

Since 1866 the haddock have been working off shore. For the past fif- 
teen years the small vessels, 45, 50 and 60 tons, have fished on the off-shore 
grounds, on Jeffries, Tilky's, and sometimes on Middle Bank, some twenty 
or twenty-five miles off, and but few haddock have been taken in-shore in 
the Winter months during the last ten years. 

Now the haddock fleet go to Georges and LaHave Banks, and some of 
them go as far as the Western Bank. They go in the largest fishing vessels, 



214 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



some of them of 120 tons burthen, and carry six dories, from 1,000 to 1,500 
hooks to a dory. There are two vessels that carry eight dories each. 

The haddock fishery commences, as a general thing, about the first of 
November. Some vessels go earlier. It is nothing unusual for a vessel to 
be gone ten days and return with 75,000, 80,000 and sometimes 90,000 lbs. 
The price of haddock has been high all this Winter (188 1-2). In years 
gone by, when there were twenty-five sail of vessels tending the market, the 
market would sometimes be overstocked. Now there is a haddock fleet of 
one hundred and fifty sail, carrying their catch to market — not to Gloucester 
alone, but to Portland, Portsmouth and Boston — and all the haddock find a 
ready sale. There has been but once this Winter when the market was 
overstocked and the haddock were sold to be split and dried at $1.35 per 
cwt. Twenty years ago that was considered a good price. 

Thirty years ago haddock were very scarce on Georges, and the vessels 
used to carry them there for halibut-bait. Now a vessel will catch 50,000 
lbs. there in one day. The haddock generally come on Georges the first of 
February; before that time the fleet go to Cape Negro and LaHave Bank. 
The Georges haddock vessels, the large ones, discontinue that fishery about 
the first of April. 

Sch. Martha C, Capt. Charles Martin, of this port, arrived in Boston 
Feb. 17, 1882, with the largest trip of haddock and best stock ever reported 
in the haddock fishery. She weighed off 93,000 lbs., stocking $1,943, the 
crew sharing $91 each. This was the result of two and a half days' fishing ; 
time absent, ten days. On her next trip she landed 55,000 lbs. on a good 
market, and stocked $1,513, giving her a stock of $3,456 on the two trips. 

Mr. George Steele's new schooner Dido, Capt. William N. Wells, made 
eight haddock trips in nine and a half weeks, the present year (1882), stock- 
ing $7,060. On one trip she was absent ninety-four hours, and stocked 
$1,404. 




**?* 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



215 



A Mackerel Catcher Dressing Her Fare by Moonlight. 

§|rr The accompanying engraving illus- 
trates a mackerel catcher whose crew 
were so fortunate as to strike a school 
of fine, fat mackerel, just before sun- 
down. The boys were all alive for 
such sport, and handled the seine-boat 
and net lively, securing "heavy decks." 
The steward had plenty of hot coffee 
and "Joe floggers" on hand for just 
such a lucky strike, and kept the crew 
well supplied with these refreshments. 
The moon had risen just as they got 
their catch on deck, and with a will 
they turned to and dressed all night. 
It was a lively time, splitting, gibbing, 
soaking them out, salting and barrel- 
ling, and the vessel, with a light wind, 
pursued her course for old Gloucester, where they got a quick pack out, and 
replenishing with salt and stores, were soon off again, as every day in the 
mackereling season counts, and the fishermen like to make the most of it. 




Frightened by the Moon. 

BY DICK SKYLIGHT. 

Friday, May 16, 1879, we were running across the Bay of Fundy, bound 
to Nova Scotia for bait. It was foggy, but not very thick, the first of the 
morning, and at three o'clock the man on the lookout sang out, " Light 
ahead!" The man at the wheel shouted back the inquiry, "What shall I 
do — luff or keep off?" "Luff! luff hard!!" came the answer from the 
lookout. 

By this time I was out of my bunk, and had jumped into the companion- 
way just as the lookout ran aft, exclaiming, "Give me the horn ! " I stepped 
back into the cabin to get it, and giving him one horn, took another with 
me on deck, blowing a blast myself before I stopped to look. The lookout 
said, "I think it's a steamer's masthead light." 



2l6 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



I now could see what looked like a bright light glimmering through the 
fog, about the height a steamer's light would be, half a mile distant, the fog 
being quite thin). After taking a good look, I said I thought it was a star, 
and told the man at the wheel to keep the vessel on her course, but a mo- 
ment later it showed plainer, and the lookout exclaimed, "I'm d — d if 'taint 
the moon ! " I could not help laughing at the fright it had given him, and 
told him to blow the horn loud, and if the " man in the moon " heard it he 
would probably keep off and let us go along. 

Such mistakes occur quite often. I have been called out many a time, 
when running for the land on a clear night, to see a star rising, that the 
watch had mistaken for a light on the land. This is not so much to be 
wondered at, since the appearance of a bright star near the horizon so 
closely resembles a fixed light on shore, that almost any one is liable to be 
misled. 



GLOUCESTER HARBOR. 



BY WILLIS G. BUKXUAM. 




How oft, like some fond mother-bird, 

Who, when the clouds foretell the storm, 
Gathers her little trembling ones 

Beneath the shelter of her form, 
Do thy bright waters, when the wind 

Sweeps mournfully across the sea, 
Gather the white-winged, wave-tossed craft 

From storm and wreck protectingly. 

How beautiful beneath the rays 
Of a bright sun, or fair full moon, 

Thy surface shines with pleasant light, 
At midnight, or at day's full noon ; 



Like some dear friend whose kindly smile 
Has cheered us both in storm and calm, 

And for our hearts' deep, secret wounds 
Has been a healing, welcome balm. 

Alas ! that as Ave look far out 

Beyond thy peace, we watch in vain 
The schooners coming from the sea, 

Which will not meet our gaze again ; 
When, long ago, each sunlit sail 

Went down below the horizon's blue, 
How little, ah ! how little then 

We of time's hastening changes knew. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 2 if 

Adventures of Captain Kichard Murphy, 

BY J. W. COLLINS. 

''Cease, rude Boreas, blustering railer; list, ye landsmen all, to me; 
Messmates, hear a brother sailor tell the dangers of the sea." — Old Song. 

There are few, even among the hardy fishermen sailing from Gloucester, 
who have had so many wonderful escapes from imminent death as "Dick" 
Murphy, as he is familiarly called by those who know him. Born in Guys- 
boro, N. S., he shipped at an early age on a Gloucester mackerel schooner, 
and since that time (a period of twenty-nine years) he has followed the fish- 
eries from this port. 

From an interview with Captain Murphy the following facts have been 
obtained relative to his experience : 

The first incident of any note was his falling overboard in the Bay of St. 
Lawrence, while "skylarking" with a youthful companion on the deck of a 
mackerel schooner. Fortunately it was moderate, and Murphy, then a 
young lad, succeeded in grasping the rope which was thrown him, and was 
soon hauled in, dripping wet, to be sure, but otherwise none the worse for 
his involuntary bath. 

His second experience in falling overboard occurred during a March gale 
on Georges, in 1855. At that time he was one of the crew of the sch. Ty- 
phoon, and, the vessel having struck adrift in the midst of a furious snow 
squall, Murphy jumped on to the fore-gaff to take down the signal lantern. 
Just as the lashings of the lantern had been cast off, the vessel took a heavy 
lurch ; the fore-boom came out of the crotch and swung suddenly out to lee- 
ward, throwing Murphy into the water. But he clung to the lantern — one 
of the old-fashioned box-like affairs — which, he says, "made a good life 
buoy," and adds : "As the vessel rolled to leeward the next time, I put one 
hand on the lantern to partially raise myself from the water, and grasping 
the rail with the other hand, was half way over it before any of my shipmates 
knew of my mishap. Some three or four of them then ran to my assistance 
and hauled me in." 

In August, 1857, he was in the sch. Queen of Clippers, bound home from 
the Bay of St. Lawrence. When the vessel was nearing Cape Ann, Mur- 
phy climbed up nearly to the jaws of the main-gaff — about forty or fifty feet 
from the deck — on the mast hoops. When he got high enough so that his 
feet rested on the second hoop below the gaff, and his hand grasped the 
next one above, he stopped to have a look for the land. ' While standing in 
this position, the seizing of the upper hoop parted and being thus instantly 



218 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

deprived of support he fell to the deck, striking his back and shoulders on 
the head of an upright water barrel. The blow broke in the head of the 
barrel, and the back of the unfortunate man was completely flayed and the 
skin turned up in strips and rolls on his shoulders. In addition to this, his 
ankle, which had struck on the house when he fell, was out of joint, and 
altogether his condition was most deplorable. It is easier to imagine than 
to tell of the dreadful agony endured for twenty-four long hours before the 
light winds carried the vessel to port, where medical treatment could be 
obtained. 

While engaged in bending the mainsail on a new schooner, the J. G. 
Dennis, he fell from the taffrail and struck on the wheel, receiving a severe 
injury. So great was the force with which he fell, that the spoke of the 
wheel, striking between the hip and lower rib, fractured the skin, and his 
right side was paralyzed for more than a week. 

While in the Dennis, in February, 1862, Murphy assisted in the rescue of 
the crew of the water-logged sch. Life Buoy, of Shelburne, N. S., an event 
which illustrated in a striking manner the readiness with which our fisher- 
men frequently apply means to ends in times of emergency and danger. 
The former vessel had lost her boat and most of her sails in a severe gale 
on Georges, and the boat of the Life Buoy had also been swept away. How 
could the fishermen, without a boat, and with their vessel in a disabled con- 
dition — having for sails only the foresail below the third reef and a jib bent 
for a mainsail — render any aid ? The question was how to improvise some 
sort of a boat. Having decided to construct a boat of one of the gurry- 
pens, which fortunately still remained intact, the skipper of the Dennis ran 
close by the Life Buoy, and hailing her crew desired them to throw over- 
board some of the planks which formed the latter vessel's deck load. By 
skilful manoeuvring these planks were picked up by the crew of the former 
vessel, and a bottom was soon made for the gurry-pen and tightly caulked. 
The fishermen then ran near enough to the wreck to throw a rope on board, 
and the gurry-pen boat was got afloat and was hauled back and forth be- 
tween the two vessels, making two trips. Before leaving the wreck her crew 
sent on board of the Dennis a jib and gaff -topsail, so that the latter might 
have sufficient canvas to reach the land. Four men were rescued ; the 
mate had been washed overboard and drowned during the gale. 

In March of the following year, and while still in the same schooner, 
Murphy had another fall from aloft. While lying to in a gale on Georges, 
the vessel plunged so heavily into the sea that the spring-stay became de- 
tached from the foremast-head, leaving the mainmast without support on the 
forward side, and liable to fall unless something could be done to stay it 
up. This could only be effected by some one taking the risk of going aloft 
on the mainmast, which, as stated, might break at any minute. But we will 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 219 

let Murphy tell the story in his own words : "The skipper told me to take 
the end of the ' net-warp ' "—a three inch manila rope, usually about fifty fath- 
oms long — "aloft with me and bend it around the mainmast with a running 
bowline as high above the gaff of the three-reefed sail as I could reach- 
Making a loop in the end of the rope, I threw it over my head and climbed 
up on the mast hoops till I reached the gaff, which I got astride of, and 
proceeded to execute my task. This I accomplished in a few moments, 
and having shoved the rope up as high as I could, again sat down on the 
gaff, unconsciously throwing both legs on the weather side instead of sitting 
astride of it, as one almost always will. This seemingly trifling circumstance 
probably saved my life. It was the intention of the skipper, as soon as I 
got the end of the warp fast, to take the other end to the windlass and heave 
taut on it. But before this could be done, and while I was intently watch- 
ing the movements on deck, the vessel took a heavy plunge, and as her bow 
rose again and her stern dropped suddenly into the hollow of the sea, the 
mainmast broke under me and fell with a crash over the stern, breaking 
again where it struck on the taffrail. Just how I escaped I can hardly tell, 
the whole thing was done so quickly. I only know that, feeling the mast go- 
ing, I threw myself from the gaff and fell all in a heap in the corner formed 
by the taffrail and lee-quarter rail. At the same instant the mast struck on 
the taffrail, above my head, as I lay on deck. Had I fallen a few inches far- 
ther aft I should have struck in the water, and rescue would have been im- 
possible. As it was, I received no injury beyond a little shaking up, a few 
bruises, etc., and was soon able to resume duty." 

The next remarkable adventure that he had occurred in the Fall of 
1869, while he was with me in the sch. Glenwood. Toward the close of a 
disagreeable drizzly day in October, we ran into Port Hood, C. B., where 
a large fleet had collected in anticipation of a storm. All of the best an- 
choring grounds were occupied, and we were obliged to take a berth not far 
from the long sand bar which extends nearly two-thirds of the distance 
across the southern side of the harbor, leaving a comparatively narrow chan- 
nel between that and the sand spits off the eastern shore. That night and 
the next day the weather was only what might be expected — raw, breezy 
and unpleasant. About nine o'clock on the second night the wind backed 
to north-northeast and began to pipe in good earnest with occasional "spits" 
of snow. We let go the second anchor, paid out a good scope on both ca- 
bles, and having set an anchor watch, turned in. All hands were called 
again at midnight to pay out more cable, though, on account of the Lizzie 
A. Tarr lying directly astern of us, and very close, there was not room 
enough for so long a scope as we wished to have out. At this time it was 
intensely dark, the air was filled with snow and sleet, and the gale had in- 
creased to almost a hurricane. The tide, too, had risen to an almost unpre- 



220 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

cedented height, and there was a sharp choppy sea in the harbor. After 
we had veered out the cable, but while the men were still on deck, we saw a 
vessel* driving down directly for us, broadside to the wind. We made an 
attempt to sheer our vessel out of her path, but were only partially successful. 
She struck us on the port bow, and her starboard anchor, which hung at the 
cat-head, caught over our port cable. This brought the strain of both ves- 
sels on our anchors, which gave way, and down we went under the bow of 
the Lizzie Tarr, broadside on, the bowsprit of the latter vessel coming in 
over our quarter-rail, and passing between the starboard main rigging and 
the mainmast, while the Lizzie Cook lay on our port side, pounding away at 
us as she rose and fell with the sea. For a time it seemed that our vessel 
would be ground up between the other two, or that the whole three of us 
would be driven together in a pile on the bar, not more than three hundred 
fathoms to leeward, over which the sea was breaking masthead high. For- 
tunately the Tart's anchors held on, and gave us time to extricate our ves- 
sel from her dangerous position. In less time than it takes to write it, I 
had jumped on board of the Cook and requested her skipper to pay out 
more cable so that his vessel would drop aft on our quarter. This he did, 
and, watching for the right moment, the lanyards of our starboard main rig- 
ging were cut away, freeing the bowsprit of the Tarr; our vessel swung head 
to the wind, and we paid out on our cables, dropping down between the 
other two vessels, and astern of them, where we held on, thinking we would 
be safe. But in this we were disappointed, for before we had a chance to 
reeve off new lanyards for our rigging, we were startled by the cry that our 
starboard cable had been cut by the crew of one of the vessels we had been 
in collision with. The first thing to be done was to rig the stock in the 
"spare anchor" which we had on deck. We had just completed this job 
and were about to bend the cable to the anchor, when some one shouted 
out in a dismayed tone, "We're all adrift! they've cut our other cable." 
Not a moment could be wasted, for the foaming and roaring breakers on the 
bar were right to leeward. Luckily our vessel fell off head to the eastward, 
and I instantly determined to run out of the harbor, though the darkness 
of the night, intensified by the blinding snow, rendered the attempt to pass 
between the southern bars an extremely hazardous undertaking. As I ran 
aft to clear the wheel, I shouted, " Bear a hand on the foresail ; be lively, 
now, and get it on her ! " It was soon up about as high as if it was single- 
reefed, when I righted the wheel, the sail filled, and our little vessel started 
off with the speed of a race-horse, dragging behind her the port cable, which, 
stretching out in the wake, and glistening with phosphorescence, looked like 
an immense fiery sea serpent. " Hard up ! keep her off ! " shouted the look- 



The Lizzie Cook of Xewburyport. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 221 

out. Up went the wheel, the vessel swinging quickly off until a light was 
dimly seen on the weather bow, and the cry of, "Steady! so," assured me 
that we were heading all right. The next instant we went rushing by the 
stern of one of the fleet, just clearing her main-boom. Hardly had we 
passed that one, when a voice cried out again, " Luff ! luff hard ! " and we 
swept by another schooner, almost scraping the end of her bowsprit with 
our lee rigging. These were the outside vessels of the fleet, and having 
kept a mental calculation of the distance run, I judged soon after passing 
them that we were far enough to keep off and run out of the channel. 
When out by the bar we jibed the foresail and hauled to on the starboard 
tack. In jibing, the gaff was broken, and the peak-halyards caught over 
the horns of the cross-trees. Notwithstanding this, we were able to range 
ahead slowly up under the lee of the bar, close enough to it to make compar- 
atively smooth water. Probably not more than fifteen minutes had passed 
from the time our second cable was cut until we hove to outside of the bar. 
At this time the anchor was bent, with the exception of the last seizing, which 
was soon put on. We then took hold of the anchor and threw it over the bow, 
but, in our hurry, did not lift the bight of the cable clear of the cat-head. 
The result was that the anchor fetched up with the stock just under water, 
and, as we were drifting off shore, it was important that it should be cleared 
from this awkward predicament with as little delay as possible. The quick- 
est way, of course, was to reeve the cat-stopper and cut the anchor; but 
this could only be done at considerable risk. But, without waiting for or- 
ders, and only saying to the men about the windlass, "Look out that the 
cable don't slip," Murphy slid down on the hawser, rove off the cat-stopper, 
and was soon on deck again ; not, however, before he had been soused un- 
der water several times. Having cleared the cable, we paid out sixty or 
seventy fathoms, and rode out the gale. The following day we were almost 
compelled to part with our last anchor. The high tide had floated off the 
beach at the head of the harbor an old vessel which had been hauled up 
there. Once afloat she went driving on down through the fleet and brought 
up on the bar. When the tide rose about noon she floated off and came 
drifting down straight for us. We made all possible preparations to clear 
her, but when she neared us the current or untertow changed her course 
somewhat, so that she passed by a little distance off, and driving ashore on 
the cliff astern of us soon went to pieces. That afternoon we ran to Can- 
so, where we refitted. 

In 1870 Murphy shipped with Capt. James Lunderkin, in the sch. William 
F. Poole, but backed out. The vessel was lost on Georges with all hands. 

The same Winter, Murphy had another tumble overboard. He was then 
in the Hiawatha, which lay at anchor on Georges. He says : " I went on 
the house to cast off the fall of the main-boom topinglift, when, just as I 



222 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

had grasped the rope, our vessel gave a tremendous lurch, throwing me 
over the rail into the water. I clung to the rope, however, which was of 
considerable length, and hauled myself alongside by it, when my shipmates 
reached down, grabbed me by the arms and assisted me to climb over the 
rail." Had he lost his grip of the rope his rescue would have been im- 
possible. 

In the Summer of 1873, when returning home from the Grand Bank in 
the sch. B. D. ITaskins, Murphy encountered the terrific hurricane of Aug. 
24 and 25, which wrought such awful havoc among our fishing fleets. The 
little vessel, deeply laden with salt codfish, slowly pursued her way towards 
home until she neared Sable Island, where she was overtaken by the storm. 
An attempt was made to carry reefed sails and gain an offing from the Isl- 
and, but so rapidly did the gale increase that the vessel was soon hove to 
under close-reefed foresail, and even with this small sail her lee side was 
buried ; while to make matters worse, it was ascertained by sounding that 
she was drifting into shoal water. It was night, intensely dark, and every 
wave looked like a breaker. The little schooner was continually swept by 
the seas which ran sharp and high ; everything moveable on deck was car- 
ried away ; the waist-boards stripped off ; and it seemed impossible for her 
to outlive the hurricane. Finding the water constantly shoaling, and de- 
spairing of escape under sail, the anchor was let go, but the storm was so 
violent that it would not hold. About midnight the wind, which had been 
blowing from southeast changed suddenly to north-northeast, and for a 
while kept jumping from one point to another, howling fiercely from which- 
ever direction it came, and knocking the sea all up in heaps. About this 
time the men on the Haskins, who scarcely expected to see the light of 
another day, were startled and terrified by a most remarkable phenomenon. 
"Driven swiftly along by the hurricane," says Murphy, "came a dense black 
cloud, bearing on its eastern end a huge fiery pillar." The cloud, resem- 
bling an unearthly spectre, carrying with it phosphorescent fires, passed 
close by the vessel and swept out of sight to leeward. " So appalling was 
its appearance that four of the men, overcome by their superstitious fears, 
as well as the terror inspired by their fearful situation, went into convul- 
sions."* In the meantime the vessel was drifting, and a depth of only six- 
teen fathoms having been reached, it was determined to cut away the masts, 
in hopes that the schooner might fetch up. The only tools available for 
this purpose were two dull hatchets. It was slow work to cut in sufficiently 
on one side of the masts, especially as the workers had to be constantly on 
the alert to save themselves from being washed overboard. After a while, 
however, the job was accomplished, the lanyards cut away, and, after stand- 

♦Murphy. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 223 

ing for a roll or two, the masts went crashing over the side into the water. 
The next thing was to clear away the lee rigging and head-stays which still 
held the spars alongside, bumping and pounding, and threatening to knock 
a hole in the vessel. This was the most dangerous task of all, but was suc- 
cessfully accomplished without any one meeting with serious injury.* But 
even after the masts were gone, and the little vessel lay a dismantled wreck on 
the water, the anchor would not hold steadily. In the meantime, somewhere 
about an hour after the spars were cut away, a huge wave swept over and 
across the bow, tearing off the cutwater and head, and also carrying away 
the bowsprit. At last, when even the bravest were almost ready to despair, 
the anchor took a firm hold of the bottom, and the hull of the little schooner, 
stripped bare for the fight, rose more buoyantly on top of the waves. The 
sounding line showed a depth of ten fathoms when she brought up. But 
notwithstanding the dangerous character of the sea caused by the shallow- 
ness of the water and the fury of the gale, the gallant little craft rode it out 
in safety. Toward the close of the 25th the storm abated. As soon as 
practicable, jury-masts were rigged, and sufficient sail (the sails had been 
saved when the spars were cut away) was set upon these to work the vessel 
in near Cape Canso, where she was fallen in with by the sch. Frank of 
Charlottetown, P. E. I., and towed to Port Hawkesbury. Lying at the 
wharf, with jury-spars lashed to the stumps of the masts, the naked stanch- 
ions sticking up along her sides, and with deck polished to immaculate 
whiteness by the sand that had swept over it in the gale,t the Haskins pre. 
sented a scene sufficiently desolate looking to convince any one of the ter- 
rible ordeal through which she had passed. 

A short time afterwards Murphy met with another adventure, from which 
his escape with life was as remarkable as in the previous instance. This was 
on the 14th of January, 1874, at which time he and I were shipmates on the 
sch. Eastern Queen, engaged in the haddock fishery, under command of 
Capt. William Corliss. On the evening of the 13th we hauled out of Com- 
mercial dock and started down Boston harbor, beating out against a mod- 
erate southeast wind. The night was dark, with an overcast sky and some 
indications of snow, but, nevertheless, we worked slowly along. The skip- 
per staid on deck directing the movements of the vessel until one o'clock 
on the morning of the 14th, by which time we were down off Nahant. My- 
self and watchmate were then called to relieve the watch on deck. I had 

*The skipper of the B. D. Haskins told me, soon after the gale, and while the vessel 
lay in Canso waiting for repairs, that the preservation of the schooner and the lives on 
board of her, was largely due to the coolness and pluck of Murphy during the storm. He 
particularly distinguished himself in cutting away the spars and clearing the wreck. 

tThe water is often thick with sand during heavy gales, even in a depth of twenty to 
twenty-five fathoms. 



224 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

scarcely taken the wheel when I noticed that Long Island light, which was 
almost directly astern, was "shutting in," and could barely be seen. I im- 
mediately notified the skipper, but when I looked the second time, to ascer- 
tain the correct bearings of the light, it could not be seen. Almost at the 
same instant we had a snow-puff, and the wind veered to the eastward a 
couple of points. We tacked and ran back for Broad Sound. After tack- 
ing, a bright lookout was kept, the skipper himself being forward, anxiously 
watching to catch a glimpse of Long Island light. After a while, the skip- 
per shouted, "How do you head ?" "Southwest by west," I replied. "Let 
her luff, then," he sang out again. I began to roll the wheel down as 
quickly as possible, but before the vessel had swung to more than two points 
she struck on bottom, jumping, bumping and pounding, until at last she 
stopped still ; heeling down considerably, the speed with which she was run- 
ning having carried her into somewhat less water than she drew. A dark 
object could now be indistinctly seen on our weather bow, which we knew 
to be Faun Bar Beacon. Four of us started for the city in a dory to secure 
the services of a steam tug, the skipper being one of the party. Almost as 
soon as we left the side of the vessel we found ourselves among breakers ; 
the dory was half filled with water, and we began to realize the difficulties 
and dangers that lay before us in threading the tortuous channels of Boston 
harbor at night in a frail boat during a wild wintry snow storm. But there 
was no thought of backing out, and having got clear of the breakers and 
freed our boat from her waterlogged condition, we started again. At last, 
and much to our joy, we made Long Island light, its rays looming dimly 
through the snow almost over our heads. Rowing past the fleet anchored 
in the Roads, we soon after came to Spectacle Island, and in due time 
reached the Castle. Bye-and-bye we came to a long pier, at the head of 
which lay a large schooner, while a short distance off could be seen the 
ruddy reflection of light from some sort of blasting furnace.* We started 
again, and after a hard pull against the wind, which was then about east- 
northeast and blowing strong, we reached " T " dock, where we found, and 
went on board of, the steam tug C. M. Winch, which lay there with banked 
fires. Notwithstanding the oil clothes we all had on, we were drenched to 
the skin, and the skipper, who had sat in the stern of the boat looking out, 
not having had any exercise like the rest of us, was so thoroughly chilled 
when we reached the steamer that he could not speak coherently, and could 
scarcely stand. We soon made known our wants to the captain of the tug, 
but the weather was so thick that he did not dare to start before daybreak. 
At last the anxiously watched-for daylight began to appear ; the steamboat 
men bustled around, casting off lines, and shortly the puff, puff of the engines 

*The South Boston Iron Works. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 225 

assured us that the much wished-for start was being made. But so in- 
tensely thick was the misty fog, that in the gray light of the early morning 
that it was impossible to discern anything a hundred yards distant. Reach- 
ing Deer Island Beacon, we headed out into Broad Sound. A little later 
we saw a vessel on our port beam that had evidently just anchored. We 
slowed up, thinking it might be ours, but deciding it was not, we started 
on again. But now we began to meet with the ocean swell, and the little 
steamer plunged and rolled terribly, sending showers of spray over the 
top of the pilot-house. Down off the Faun Bar buoy the sea almost broke 
from the bottom, and considering it too risky to venture on the back side of 
the bar, the captain of the tug turned her around, and ran back again for 
the schooner we had seen on our way out, and which, much to our surprise 
and pleasure, proved to be the Eastern Queen. We now gave her a towing 
warp, and, the anchor having been weighed, towed her to Commercial 
dock, where, at last, we could hear the story of the escape, which before we 
could only conjecture. After we left the vessel in the dory the tide rose 
slowly, the wind and sea increasing at the same time, causing her to pound 
very heavily. The men on board, one of whom was Murphy, deeming it 
unsafe to stick by any longer, if they could leave in the boats, hoisted out a 
dory, by way of experiment, and paid her down to leeward of the vessel. 
But it was soon evident that the attempt to row a boat through the breakers 
would be absolute madness, for the dory had been but a few moments out 
when she was struck by a wave, rolled over and over, and knocked about 
like an egg shell in the yeasty waters that were then foaming all about the 
apparently doomed Queen. Failing in this scheme, and knowing that the 
vessel would soon pound her bottom out unless something more was done, 
since, every time she fell, the grinding of planks and cracking of timbers 
could be distinctly heard, the men determined to put her head on. They 
therefore hoisted the foresail and jib, and slipping the cable, drove her on 
'as fast as the tide came; whenever she rose on a sea she gained a little 
ahead. The case with them was now absolutely desperate. There would 
not be, even at full flood, as much water on the bar as the Queen drew by 
nearly two feet.* The wind blew almost a gale, and the sea broke over her 
in all directions. There was every reason to suppose that she might bilge 
and break up. If this happened every soul on board must perish. But 
Murphy resolutely clung to the wheel and headed her on the bar. At last 
she rose on a wave, started ahead, kept going! while the joyful shout of, 
"We're off! we're afloat!" was raised by every one. Owing to the density 

*When we returned to the place at low tide on the next day, to secure the cable and an- 
chor that had been slipped, the bar was dry; and a deep track, like a furrow, marked the 
point where the Eastern Queen had ploughed her way through a mass of rocks varying in 
size from a water pail to a large cask. 



226 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



of the fog they ran only a short distance, and having made the buoy on the 
Inner Faun, came to anchor, where, shortly after, we saw them. The fact 
that the forefoot and after part of the keel of the vessel was ground off into 
the wood ends, and six or seven bilge planks were cut through, or nearly 
through, causing a leak of 2,500 strokes an hour, tells how narrow an escape 
from death those had who remained on board. 

Such are some, though by no means all, of the adventures through which 
Capt. Murphy has passed ; and the fact that he still lives to brave the per- 
ils of the deep, and is as vigorous, "hale and hearty as any on 'em," might 
be cited as proof that 

" There's a sweet little cherub sits up aloft 
To watch over the life of poor Jack." 



THE OPEN SEA. 

BY C. W. J. 




Far out at sea, 

Where tossing billows mock the sky 
And shrill winds whistle free 

And fleecy clouds go hurrying by. 
"What care we for the land 

Except to keep it far away? 
For here no rocks or whelming sand 

Along our free course lay. 

Along the land lie shoals, 
Treacherous bar and cruel reef, 

Where the curling breaker rolls 
With mournful moan of woe and grief. 



On the land is guile 

Fraud and treachery, vile and base, 
Where the coward lurks with stealthy wile 

And smooth, deceitful face. 

Here is no deceit 1 

The Storm King warns ere he makes attack ; 
Swift heralds, with white hurrying feet, 

Tell the approach of the tempest black. 
Man struggles 'gainst wind and wave 

In an honest fight that is fair and free, 
And God alone can save. 

Hurrah for the open sea 1 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 227 



Gloucester's Exhibition at the Centennial. 

The Fishery Exhibit made by this city at the Centennial, at Philadelphia, 
in 1876, gave much satisfaction to the thousands who witnessed it, and 
this, together with the distribution of the five thousand copies of the Cen- 
tennial Pamphlet giving a full description of the fishing industry and the 
relation which Gloucester sustained as the largest fishing port in the United 
States, undoubtedly resulted beneficially in a business point of view. Mr. 
Edward King, the able and interesting Centennial correspondent of the 
Boston "Journal," wrote the following account of the Gloucester exhibit, 
which was published in the columns of that paper, and we are pleased to 
reproduce it in the pages of "The Fishermen's Own Book": 

" In the vicinity of the Aquarial Department in the Agricultural Hall the 
city of Gloucester has erected a tank 23 by 12 feet, filled with, water, in 
which correct models of the fishing fleet of the old and new times are afloat, 
illustrating the different branches of the fisheries. In one corner is the old 
'cob wharf of Revolutionary years, with its primitive appliances, and the 
odd, quaint 'pinkies' lying beside it. Opposite it is a model of the massive 
and durable pile wharves, such as are built in Gloucester in 1.876, ten times 
as large as the old ones. On this the fishermen are shown at work packing 
mackerel. All the appliances of fishing wharves are exhibited. Ranged 
about in the little harbor are models of all the various improvements in fish- 
ing craft, from 1800 down to the present time. The old Manchester, a fa- 
mous fisher in her day, built about the beginning of this century, is exhibited 
in model. The Manchester is still in existence, and is now. in the carrying 
trade somewhere 'down East.' The 'bankers' that go to Georges Bank, 
the 'seiners' and the 'market boats' are all shown, and a practical model 
gives a very correct idea of the setting of a mackerel seine. 

" In addition to the exhibit in this tank there is a fine collection of objects 
belonging to the fisheries, or of curiosities collected during the voyages. 
The quadrant, made in 1761, and used by Capt. Isaac Day over a century 
ago, is shown ; near it stands an hour-glass still older. There is also a cu- 
rious substance resembling branch coral, which is said to have been fished 
up in one hundred and fifty fathoms of water by a 'banker.' Here, too, are 
seen all the appliances which make the fishing vessel of to-day a palace 
compared with its rude prototype of a century ago. 

"Gloucester maintains her position as first among fishing ports proudly. 
Every year more and more direct trade comes to her ; and she still controls 
her market even on the Pacific coast, sending great quantities of fish to 



228 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



Sacramento. It is not a little curious, also, that this very year she has be- 
gun exporting fish to Sweden. One would have thought that like carrying 
coals to Newcastle. But even stranger things may happen. 

"The exhibit of the Gloucester fisheries is, however, the most interesting 
one of its kind in the Exhibition. It is by far the most complete, as it gives 
an accurate idea of the growth from very small proportions to their present 
gigantic status of the fisheries of the largest fishing port in the world. 
Brave old Gloucester ! There is almost poetry in these toy sails and mimic 
wharves, and imitation seas spread out before the eyes of visitor's to the 
Exhibition, for they recall the many pathetic stories which we have heard 
of the losses of good fishermen and their ships on the gloomy and treacher- 
ous 'banks.'" 



THE WIDOW'S APPEAL TO THE WINDS AND SEA. 

BY GEORGE H. PROCTER. 




"Winds, to your charge I give 

My bonnie fisher lad; 
A treasure very dear to me, 

Whose absence makes me sad. 
He toils that we may live, 

His mother, sisters three, 
Widowed and fatherless, 

Made so by thee. 

Blow steady — let no gales 

Their fury burst upon 
The craft which holds my boy, 

This darling, only son. 
Gently the snowy sails 

Fill with thy wondrous breath, 
And waft him back to me, 

And not to death. 



O sea, a boon I crave, 

Thou, too, must guard my boy; 
Do not his graceful form 

To thy embrace decoy ; 
But bear him safely o'er 

Thy pathless, billowy space, 
That we may gladsome be 

At sight of that dear face. 

Buoy up his vessel well, 

Ye waves, your force subdue; 
No sullen humors take, 

But to your charge be true. 
Around the schooner's prow 

In tiny wavelets break, 
O treacherous, heaving sea, 

For his dear sake. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 229 



Picking the Nets and Trawls, 

Wherein We Find Good Hauls of Facts, Incidents, Off-Hand Sketches, and 
Items of Interest Concerning the Fishermen and Their Calling. 

Important to Fishermen. — The Direct United States Cable Company 
have charts for the guidance and information of fishermen, showing the lo- 
cation of the company's cables, with the depths of water, and request cap- 
tains to give them a wide berth. Should any vessel, however, lose her 
anchor or cable by reason of coming in contact with the telegraph cable, 
and will use every endeavor to save the same from damage, the company 
will reimburse the loss, subject to adjustment, upon being satisfied that the 
claim is a just one. On the fourth page of the advertising department may 
be found full particulars, and it being of great public interest, we thus call 
attention to it. 

The sum of $100 was received by Collector Babson in March, 188 r, from 
the Direct United States Cable Co., as compensation for the loss of anchor 
by sch. Oliver Eldridge, Capt. John Scott. The schooner was at anchor on 
Brown's Bank, and had drifted during a high wind and fouled the telegraph 
cable. Upon ascertaining the fact, Capt. Scott cut his cable and reported 
the case to Collector Babson, who sent on the evidence, and the company 
promptly paid the damages. The honorable manner in which the company 
proposes to deal with our fishermen should entitle it to the most careful 
consideration when they are fishing in the vicinity of the cable, by using 
every precaution to avoid fouling it, and when fouling, to cut at once rather 
than run the risk of injuring the cable. 

Interesting Statistics Gleaned from Exper- 
iments of the U. S. Fish Commission in Glouc- 
ester. — The loss of weight of codfish from the 
round to the market-dried fish is from 54^2 to 65^ 
per cent., the average loss being about .6023, dis- 
tributed as follows : Loss in splitting, .4044 ; loss 
in pickle, .1496 ; loss on flakes, .0483. The shrink- 
age in length from the round to the split fish is from 6^ to 11^ inches. 
By extra drying, in the warmest weather, the average loss in weight is about 
a half per cent. more. The loss of weight of Georges cod in curing, after 
being split and salted on board the vessel, averages about 11^ percent. 
The average loss in weight of market-dried fish in boning is nearly 22 per 




230 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

cent (.219). Pollock, from the round to the market-dried fish lose on an 
average 59 8-10 per cent., and shrink in length from 8 to 12 inches. Had- 
dock shrink in length from the round to the marked-dried fish from 4 to 5^ 
inches, and lose in weight 62 3-10 per cent. The loss of weight in hake 
from the round to the market-dried fish averages 55^ per cent, the loss 
in length from 4^ to 10 inches. Cusk lose from the round to the market- 
dried fish 50^ per cent, in weight and from 4}^ to 7^ inches in length. 

Protecting Trawl and Net Fishermen. — The following is the full 
text of the bill approved March n, 1882, to take effect forty days thereafter, 
for the protection of the rights of lobster, net and trawl fishermen : 

"Any person who shall take any fish or lobster from any trap, trawl or 
seine set for catching fish or lobsters, except by consent of the owner there- 
of, and any person who shall wilfully molest or interfere with such trap, 
trawl or seine, shall for the first offence be punished by a fine of not less 
than five nor more than twenty-five dollars, or by both fine and imprison- 
ment ; and for any subsequent offence by a fine of not less than twenty nor 
more than fifty dollars, or by imprisonment for sixty days, or both fine and 
imprisonment." 

Some Mackerel Trips Forty-five Years Ago. — A blue-covered pass 
book preserved among the papers of Messrs. James Mansfield & Sons, gives 
an account of the outfits of a schooner commanded by Capt. Ignatius Syl- 
vester of Riverdale, on half a dozen or more mackerel trips in the Summer 
and Fall of 1837. The book is in the handwriting of Capt. George W. 
Plumer, with occasional entries in the writing of Mr. James Mansfield, then 
the head of the firm, both of whom are still living, and indicates that besides 
Capt. Sylvester the crew consisted of George Stanwood, Addison Griffin, 
Tristram Griffin, Henry Stanwood, John Parsons and Issac Babson, all of 
whom with the exception of the two last named are still among the living. 
Three of the number, Messrs. Sylvester, Henry Stanwood and George Stan- 
wood commanded vessels in the employ of the Messrs. Mansfield for an 
aggregate of one hundred years. The accounts are made out in the form 
of "Great General" and "Small General," the former covering salt, fuel 
and lights, bait and use of bait mill ($2), and the latter including provisions, 
hooks, lines, leads, sawing wood, etc. The time covered by the pass book 
was from June 30 to Nov. 16. The fuel consisted of wood, a cord and five 
feet being required for the season, at $7 per cord. For light four gallons 
and a quart of oil at $1.10 per gallon, and six pounds of candles at 15 cents 
per pound, were required. We find only 3 bbls. of bait charged, 2 at $2.25 
and 1 at $2.75. Salt was billed at $3.30 and $3.37^ per hhd., all but 9 
hhds. at the higher rate, and 37 hhds. were taken on board, of which a por- 
tion was .returned. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 231 

The meat provided, excepting 53 cents worth of veal, consisted of 142 
lbs. beef at 8 cents per lb., and 170^ lbs. pork, from 12 to 14 cts. per lb.; 
203 lbs. flour were supplied at 6}( cts. per lb., 4 pecks meal at 34 cts. per 
peck, 445 lbs. bread from 7^ to S}4 cts. per lb., 5^ bush, potatoes from 
40 to 67 cts. per bush., 59 gals, molasses at 34 and 36 cts. per gal., 33 lbs. 
rice at 5 and 6 cts. per lb., 3 bush, beans at 8 cts. per qt., 2 gals, vinegar at 
20 cts. per gal., a can of mustard, a pound of saleratus and a bottle of pep- 
per sauce. For drink there were 35 lbs. coffee at ten cents per pound, and 
1 lb. chocolate at 22 cents. 34^ lbs. of lard were used at 10 cts. per lb., 
and the butter and cheese bill was very moderate, (Gp'only 72 cts. 

,^m A Singular Circumstance.— Dec. 15, 1865, sch. 

j^L^ L* ve Yankee, then owned at this port by Daniel Sayward, 
^SpF / ' I " while anchored on Georges during a heavy sea, un- 
jS^jlf ii i ' shipped her bowsprit shroud, which was lost overboard? 
-^ppfciaaai^fc^ and when she returned to port a new one was furnished 
'ITilaSiiiP^ by Mr. Addison Witham, rigger. The next Spring, while 
the crew were engaged in fishing on Georges, one of them caught something 
on his hook, and pulling up, was surprised to find a bowsprit shroud at- 
tached. Supposing themselves to be anchored over the wreck of some 
Georgesman, they brought the shroud in, and called some of the riggers to 
examine it for the purpose of identification, and thus to gain information of 
a lost vessel. Among them was Mr. Witham, who at once pronounced it 
the one lost by the Live Yankee the December previous. He was positive 
of this, as it had a very peculiar long-shanked hook, different from any other 
in our fleet, and it corresponded exactly with the other one which is still in 
use on the vessel. It was in good condition, with the exception of some 
parts of it being covered with small barnacles. It was indeed singular that 
it should be hooked up in the manner it was, by one of the crew of the ves- 
sel from which it was lost. 

The Isinglass Industry. — The first establishment in this country for 
the manufacture of isinglass from fish sounds was set up in Rockport, Mass., 
in 1822, by a Mr. Hall, an Englishman, who came to the town for that pur- 
pose, because he could best buy here the hake sounds he wished to use. 
His shop was out near the end of the neck, the same building Mr. Addison 
Gott now uses as a fish house. He first used wooden rollers, which had the 
disadvantage of warmth and adhesiveness. Besides, his rollers were turned 
by hand power, two men to a roller, making very unsteady work ; it is said 
the wages of this human power was from thirty to forty cents a day. After 
some years, iron rollers were introduced, and the next improvement was 
horse power, using a treadmill. Mr. Hall, within a few years after he start- 



232 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

ed here, took in Jabez Rowe as partner, and they continued together some 
years. After some twelve years here Mr. Hall died, and tradition says was 
quite poor. In the course of time Deacon Gott, Messrs. William Burns and 
William Norwood became interested in the dawning enterprise, and they 
built the now old Rockport Sound Factory on Dock Square. They had in- 
troduced steam power and many other later improvements. The price at 
first paid for sounds was usually five or six cents a pound. One year, when 
the price was held as high as eight cents, they thought of abandoning the 
business on account of the enormous cost of sounds. This seems singular 
to us, who in our time have known sounds to bring over $1.50 a pound. 

Two Old Jokers. — Among the fishermen of Maine who formerly sailed 
from Gloucester was Captain Ezra T — , a great wit in his way, and always 
ready with a joke or repartee. On one occasion, while engaged in the mack- 
erel fishery, he had as one of his crew Hiram S — , who was noted among 
his compeers for having a remarkably large head. The last-named individ- 
ual being employed one day in stowing mackerel barrels in the hold of the 
vessel, a discussion arose as to whether a barrel would go in a certain place 
or not. Captain T — , who was on deck, happening to overhear the remarks, 
pro and con, of the men in the hold, leaned over the hatchway and, speak- 
ing to S — , said, " Shove your head in there," Hi. (an abbreviation for Hi- 
ram) — "if your head will go, a barrel will I" 

But Captain T — met his match on one occasion in his friend and neigh- 
bor, Captain R — . As the story was told, the former, who was sometimes 
addicted to convivial habits, crooked his elbow rather too frequently one 
evening, and having to pass through a growth of woods on his way home, 
got astray. After struggling through underbrush and other obstructions, 
and losing his hat, he finally reached the house of his friend R — , who, of 
course, supplied him with a hat, and started him on the right track for home. 
A few months later Captain T — was engaged in trading along the coast of 
Maine in his vessel, and, among other things, had some furniture to sell. 
One day he called at the house of Captain R — , and tried to induce the lat- 
ter to buy something. After enumerating the various kinds of goods he 
had for sale, a thought struck him, and he asked, "Don't you want to buy a 
table- R — ?" R — , who had a large family, replied, "Dod blast it, no ! I've 
more tables now than I can fill with grub." "I believe that," said T — , 
"but, at least, you ought to have one respectable table on which to put gen- 
tlemen's hats, when any, like me, for instance, comes to see you." "Oh, 
yes, that's so," exclaimed R — , "but when gentlemen like you come to see 
me, they generally come drunk and bareheaded." 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



233 




Every Part of the fish is now 
utilized, the skin being the last to 
find its place among merchantable 
articles. This is used for the man- 
ufacture of fish glue and cement, 
and the product is ranked among 
the best in the world. There are 
two companies in Gloucester en- 
gaged in its manufacture, and their business is constantly increasing. The 
raw material is held at $12 per ton, at which price it finds a ready sale. 
The skins are also used in the manufacture of guano, and now that the bone- 
less fish industry has assumed such large proportions these skins form a 
large source of profit to the fish dealers. 

The First Trawl Fisherman of whom we have any record was Mr. 
Coleman Manning of Rockport, whose unexampled success in fishing was 
long a mystery to his fellow fishermen, until the secret was discovered, caus- 
ing considerable indignation at the method pursued, as it was thought it 
would damage the fisheries. This was about 1852, and the trawl roll used 
by Mr. Manning, an uncouth-looking affair, has been presented to the Na- 
tional Museum of the United States. Mr. John Rowe, of East Gloucester, 
claims to have set a trawl across Brace's Cove, in May, 1820, but the prac- 
tice was not then followed up. 

Menhaden Factories. — The number of menhaden factories in operation 
last year, 188 1, was 97, employing 73 steamers and 286 sailing vessels, with 
2,805 men, who caught 457,192,000 fish, from which were made 1,266,549 
gallons of oil and 27,592 tons of crude or 15,027 tons of dried guano. 

The Materials of Which Fish Are Composed. 
— Considered from the standpoint of the food, fish, 
as we buy them in the market, consist of flesh, or 
edible portion, and refuse — bones, skin, entrails, etc. 
The proportions of refuse in different samples of 
the same kind, in different conditions, vary widely. 
Thus a sample of flounder contained 68 per cent, 
of refuse and only 32 per cent, of flesh, while one 
of halibut steak had only 18 per cent, of refuse and 82 per cent, of edible 
materials. Among those with the most refuse and least edible flesh are the 
flounder, porgy, bass and perch. Among those with the least refuse are fat 
shad, fat mackerel, salmon, and dried and salt fish. The edible portions 
consist of water and solids, actual nutrients. The proportion of water and 




234 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



solids in the flesh of various kinds of fish is much more variable than most 
people would suppose. Thus the flesh of flounders had 85 per cent, of wa- 
ter and only 15 per cent, of solids, while that of salmon contained 36^ per 
cent, solids and 63 }4 per cent, water, and the flesh of dried, smoked and 
salt fish have still less water. Lean beef contains, on the average, 25 per 
cent, or one-quarter its weight of solids, the other three-quarters being wa- 
ter, while fat pork has one-half solids. Ordinary fresh meats are from one- 
half to three-fourths water, while the water in the fresh fish varies from 
three-fifths to six-sevenths of the whole. To find the actual nutritive mate- 
rials of a sample of fish, we must first subtract the refuse— the entrails, 
bones, etc. — which leaves the flesh. Then we must allow for the water in 
the flesh. What remains will be the total edible solids, the actual nutritive 
material. The per centages of edible solids in the different samples of fish 
were more varied than those of refuse and water. Thus 100 pounds of 
flounders contained only 5 pounds of actual nutrients; 100 pounds of had- 
dock, 9 pounds; of bluefish, 11 pounds; of cod, 12 pounds; salt mackerel, 
16 pounds ; shad, 16 pounds ; salt cod, 20 pounds ; salmon, 27 pounds; and 
smoked herring 28 pounds. — Sea World. 

Georges Bank. — For the benefit of many who will peruse this volume 
we will state that Georges Bank is 190 miles east-southeast from Cape Ann, 
and about a twenty hours' run in a good breeze for one of our fishermen. 
There is shoal water fishing and deep water fishing — the latter requiring 
from 100 to 150 fathoms of line, and is comparatively new, the first season 
of its success being in 1876. LaHave Bank is 100 miles east of Georges, 
and fishing thereon has been commenced by our fleet within the past five 
years. 

The Old Man's Yarn. — An Of-fish-al Narra- 
tive. — 'Twas in the Summer of 'seventeen, as fine 
an August day as you have ever seen. Our Sary 
Ann, upon the beach, set up a most unearthly 
screech, and in a fit she fell. From cot and wind- 
mill near at hand, alarmed to hear her yell, quick 
out upon the glistening sand the neighbors rushed 
pell-mell. No need of words from Sary Ann, 
what startled her to tell, for every maid and every 
man, who to the beach so quickly ran, soon saw a 
sight that caused a fright, and made them feel 
from head to heel as limp as this umb'rel. For 
there, two hundred yards from shore, a monster 
none had seen before, upreared its hideous head ; 
with fork-ed tongue and eyes of flame, and looks of menace, on it came, as 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 235 

if to strike them dead ; the waters half a mile away were lashed with fury 
into spray each time it moved its tail, and all the way between rose hump 
on hump of olive green, like huge waves in a gale. Glad hearts were theirs 
who watched that day — to apprehension dire a prey — to see the monster 
turn aside and from the harbor quickly glide. Horse mackerel and porpoise 
schools will do to talk about to fools ; but we who lived in 'seventeen know 
that the sea serpent was seen. 

Veteran Craft. — Pinkey Senator, 32.67 tons, built at Essex in 1831, is 
still owned at this port. Sch. Ann Parker, built at Wells, Me., in 1850, is 
owned at Pigeon Cove. Pinkey Albatross, of Castine, Me., built in 1829, 
was at this port with a load of barrels in the Summer of 1881. The whaler 
Mt. Wallaston, whose wreck was discovered in the ice of the Arctic ocean in 
1 88 1, formerly hailed from Gloucester at a time when it was proposed to 
establish the whaling business from this port. She sailed on her first voy- 
age Jan. 9, 1834. Four months out she was spoken with 250 bbls. of oil ; 
Oct. 20, 1834, with 750 bbls.; Dec. 14, with 1,200 bbls. She arrived home 
May 17, 1835, w i tn 1,600 bbls., 150 sperm, and 13,000 lbs. bone. The 
voyage did not prove so successful as had been anticipated, but she was 
again fitted out, and sailed on her second voyage in July, 1835. ^ n August 
she was spoken, having taken four whales. Jan. 13, 1836, she was again 
spoken, and reported 2,200 bbls. March 29 she arrived home with 1,600 
bbls. whale, 550 sperm, and 16,000 lbs. bone. This would now be consid- 
ered a successful voyage, but on account of the low price of oil it was not 
then regarded as satisfactory, and the ship was sold at auction for $4,510 
to J. B. Osgood of Salem, from which port she made several voyages. 

Something about Lobsters. — It has often been stated 
that "in general lobsters change their shell once a year, 
and it is a painful operation." A friend of ours in this 
city, who has an aquarium, states that he has a lobster 
which changed his shell three times within a year. He is also of opinion 
that when in the sea where they get a full supply of such food as they re- 
quire, that they change their shells even oftener than this, as it is necessary 
for them to do so, in order to grow. Can any one give us any more light 
on this subject ? 

There is no doubt that the blasting of Hell Gate destroyed immense 
quantities of lobsters ; so great a dread have lobsters of thunder that they 
will cast off their big claws when a loud clap occurs or when a gun is fired. 
In olden times captains of vessels often extorted blackmail from lobster 
fishermen by threatening to fire cannon over the fishing grounds, knowing 




236 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



full well that the concussion would cause the lobsters to cast their claws, 
thereby destroying their value. 

Lobster spearing is pursued in the Indian fashion, by torchlights. A 
dark, calm night and a falling tide are the first requisites, and the crew of 
the canoe must consist of three — one to row, one to hold the torch so that 
its light will fall through the shallow water and light up the bottom to show 
the lobsters crouched among the seaweed ; and last, but not least, the spear- 
er, armed with a long wooden spear, which it requires considerable skill and 
practice to drive down, so that the two prongs will close over the lobster's 
back, capturing him firmly, leaving the body uninjured. It is a sport both 
exciting and picturesque, as the boat creeps along under the shadow of the 
bank and the torch casts a Rembrandtish light on the occupants and on the 
overhanging trees. The captive lobsters sometimes make very unpleasant 
occupiers of a boat, and it requires great equanimity to feel them crawling 
about one's feet. 



A Faithful Beacon Light. — It is a very 
tender story of faithfulness in humble places, 
I which Jean Ingelow relates. It was in one of 
the Orkney Islands, far beyond the north of 
Scotland. On the coast of this island there 
stood a rock called Lonely Rock, very danger- 
ous to mariners. On a night, long ago, a young 
girl was kneeling at the window in her chamber 
in a fisherman's cottage, looking out upon the 
dark and driving clouds, and listening anxious- 
ly to the wind and sea. At last the morning 
came, and one boat that should have been rid- 
ing on the waves was missing. It was her fa- 
ther's boat, and half a mile from the cottage 
her father's body was found washed upon the 
sand. He had been wrecked against the Lone- 
ly Rock. The girl watched her father's body, 
according to the customs of her people, till it was laid in the grave, then 
she lay down on her bed and slept. When the night came she arose and 
set a candle in her casement. All night she sat by the candle, trimmed it 
when it flickered down, and spun. So many hanks of yarn as she had spun 
before for her daily bread, she spun still, and one hank over for her nightly 
candle. And from that time to the time of telling this story — for fifty years, 
through youth, maturity, into old age — she has turned night into day. And 
in the snowstorms of winter, in the serene calms of Summer, through driv- 
ing mists, deceptive moonlight and solemn darkness, that northern harbor 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 237 

has never once been without the light of that small candle. However far 
the fisherman might be standing out to sea, he had only to bear down 
straight for that lighted window, and he was sure of a safe entrance. And 
so for all these fifty years that tiny light, flaming thus out of devotion and 
self-sacrifice, has helped, and cheered, and saved. 

Rare Fish. — Sch. Laura Nelson, Capt. Roderic Morrison, arrived from 
Grand Bank in July, 188 1, bringing in a very curious fish taken from the 
stomach of a halibut caught on the western end of the Bank. It measured 
three feet, one inch, in length, and about two inches through, and was of a 
silvery color, having a sharp-pointed head, with a projecting flexible under 
jaw, and a small fan-shaped tail. It was presented to Capt. Martin, local 
representative of the U. S. Fish Commission, by whom it was forwarded to 
Prof. Baird at Woods Holl. The professor is of the opinion that it is of a 
new genus and new species, closely allied to the scabbard fish, of which two 
or three specimens have been received from the Banks. 

Look Out for the Raw Material. — It is a mistake for any community 
to allow its raw material to be carried away, to have its value increased by 
labor somewhere else. Gloucester is learning this to some extent, and the 
preparation of boneless fish, the canning of mackerel, and the manufacture 
of fish glue and fertilizers are all steps in the right direction, making labor 
for many hands, and enhancing the value of our fish products. The prac- 
tice of selling mackerel out of pickle, on the other hand, which has grown 
up of late years, is a step in the wrong direction, as the profits of packing 
and inspection might just as well be kept at home. Selling from pickle all 
the early part of the season, and thus giving to other markets the profits of 
handling the catch, and compelling purchasers to seek their supplies else- 
where than at the producing headquarters, will, ere long, cause Gloucester 
to lose its prestige as a mackerel market, and the later catch of home in- 
spection will have to seek a market through second hands. Gloucester is a 
loser by many thousands of dollars, from the practice of selling out of pickle, 
which we hope to see done away with another season. 

The Talking Codfish. — Recently two chaps, 
whom we shall call Bill and Joe, went out back of 
the Point in a dory to try their luck fishing. Bill 
possessed good powers of ventriloquism, which Joe 
was not aware of. They spent a couple of hours 
in fishing, and had good luck, when Joe hauled in 
a large-sized cod, and when he came up alongside, 
imagine his surprise when there issued from the cod's mouth, in words as 




2 3 8 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



plain. as human lips could speak, "Halloo, Joe, so you've got me, after all !" 
To say that Joe was frightened does not express it. He was fairly stunned 
— so much so that he couldn't get the fish on board the dory, and he went 
down again the length of the line. Bill, also, showed signs of agitation, but 
endeavored to make Joe think that he was mistaken, and commenced pull- 
ing the fish in. When he again reached the surface, Joe was amazed to 
hear from the fish's throat, as distinct as could be, "Bill, you hurt! Pull 
out the hook and let me go." That was too much for Joe. He cut the 
line, hauled up the anchor and commenced rowing home, vowing that it was 
the d — l's own work, and he was afraid that it was a forerunner of ill-luck. 
Bill was scared, of course, and the affair formed the theme of conversation 
among their circle of acquaintances for several days. Soon after, the cat 
was let out of the bag, and Bill gave some good tests of his powers, which 
carried conviction with them. Joe treated all hands to birch beer, and the 
talking codfish was no longer a mystery. 



What the Old Blubber Man Said. — "It may 
smell a little fishy, but you soon get used to it," said 
an old man who was trying out blubber on one of our 
wharves to a young dandy-looking chap, who thought 
the effluvia was "perfwectly horwid." "And then," 
continued the old man, "it brings in the crispy green- 
backs, you know, and your father was one of the best 
blubber b'ilers I ever knew." The young man fidget- 
ted a little with his kid gloves and cane, and then quick- 
ly passed up off the wharf. He didn't care about hear- 
ing the old "blubber and ile" man give him any further 
reminiscences of his family. It's the^case with a good 
many now-a-days. They like to spend the old man's 
money, but don't care to remember that the old gent 
ever went fishing or followed any of the honest occupa- 
tions connected therewith. A great pity it is that many of the young men 
of to-day are not obliged to commence life as their fathers did. The expe- 
rience would be the means of making good business men of them, as they 
would then know the value of money by being obliged to work hard in order 
to obtain it. 




The First Shipment of Herring from Gloucester to Germany. — 
As Mr. Addison G. Procter, of this city, senior member of the firm of Proc- 
ter, Trask & Co., was cashing a Swedish draft in Boston, Feb. 15, 1877, the 
banker remarked, "Why don't you ship herring to Germany as well as to 
Sweden, as the people of that country are large consumers of that fish ? " 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



2 39 



One remark led to another, and the conversation concluded by the banker's 
giving him the address of a party in Hamburg, and becoming responsible 
for a shipment of fifty barrels, which were sent per steamer. They were 
put up with extra care and handsomely stenciled, "Procter, Trask & Co., 
Cape Ann Herring," on the barrel head. While the herring were lying in 
New York, a German merchant saw them and obtained permission to open 
one of the barrels. He was so well pleased with the fish that he immedi- 
ately telegraphed on for the price of 200 barrels of the same kind. The 
price was given and the order at once received. They were immediately 
packed and went on the steamer. Procter, Trask & Co. therefore have the 
honor of shipping the first lot of herring from Gloucester to Germany. 

The Worth of Oysters and Fish 
for Food. — The researches of Prof. 
W. O. Atwater of Wesleyan University 
of Middletown, Conn., in getting at 
the facts of the worth of fish and oys- 
ters as food are worthy of the attention 
bestowed upon it. Exceedingly inter- 
esting have been the determinations 
of the nutritive values of some of the 
invertebrates, as oysters, scallops, lob- 
sters and crayfish, which are to be found in these investigations. It is well 
known that in the mollusks water forms the largest proportion. So in 
Stony Creek oysters we find 90.47 of water ; in Blue Points, 80.76 ; in Nor- 
folks, 91.45 ; in scallops, 80.32 ; in clams, 86.20 ; in lobsters, 82.73, an ^ m 
crayfish, 81.22. The fat in oysters finds its maximum in 2 per cent., though 
about 1.25 is a fair average. In the albuminoids they are fairly rich, the 
Blue Points having 8.20, but the scallop, the muscular part, of course, only 
being considered, has as much as 14.75 P er cent. In lobsters the fat is 
1.97, the albuminoids 13.57, and the nutritive value is 62, about the same 
as flounder. These considerations about the nutritive values of oysters 
only regard the edible portions, but Prof. Atwater has studied the relations 
of shell to meat, and we find that in 100 pounds of Norfolk oysters, shell 
and all, there is really only one pound of nutritive material. The highest in 
the list is the Blue Point, which for every 100 pounds of weight of shell 
holds 2>}i per cent, of meat. But when Long Island clams are examined, 
there is an increase in nutrients, for in the 100 pounds of shell and all there 
is 7.77, and in lobsters 6.80. In general, Prof. Atwater's tables seem to 
show that the Northern oysters are the richer and the Southern the poorer 
in nutritive elements. When relative nutritive values are studied, the worth 
of fish food will be thoroughly appreciated. 




240 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Capture of a Trunk Turtle. — Sch. Herman Babson, Capt. Williams, 
captured a rare reptile for these parts in the shape of a trunk turtle, Oct. 3, 
1877, ten miles off Cape Elizabeth. In getting it on board the vessel it 
was injured so badly that it survived but two days, having bled to death 
from one of its flippers. It measured seven feet across the back and was 
six feet in length, and its estimated weight was six hundred pounds. It 
differs from other species of turtle in having the carapace overlaid by a 
leathery skin instead or horny plates, and this skin is easily punctured by a 
sharp instrument. The head is large, narrowed in front of the eyes, with 
small circular nostrils and large eyes, with lids opening nearly vertically ; 
jaws apparently very strong and sharp edged ; neck short and thick, and 
the anterior limbs are twice as large as the hind ones. It was a great curi- 
osity in this section, and hundreds availed themselves of the opportunity of 
seeing it. Its flesh is said to be of no value. It is found on both sides of 
the Atlantic, especially in the tropics, coming north as far as Massachusetts 
Bay. 

"Right arter Robert." — Years ago there were two brothers following 
fishing from this port, both of whom were skippers, owning crafts of their 
own. Robert was the elder, and William used to follow in his wake as near 
as he could, when on his fishing trips. One day they both started out to- 
gether, William following and Robert taking the lead, as usual. When Wil- 
liam went down to supper, the man at the helm asked him how he should 
steer. "Right arter Rober," was the reply. It so happened that William's 
vessel was a little faster than Robert's, in a light breeze, and the wind mod- 
erating suddenly and the helmsman not being first-class at the business, let 
her get too near, and ere he could avoid it the vessels collided. The shock 
brought skipper William on deck, who sang out, as he came up the compan- 
ion-way, " How are you steering ? " " Right arter Robert, sir, just as you 
told me to," was the reply. Fortunately there was but little damage done, 
but "Right arter Robert" served as a by-word on board the crafts during 
the entire season. 

The Norwegian Flounder has been added to the list of edible fishes 
taken off our coast. Quite large quantities were secured on the dredging 
expeditions of the steamer Speedwell, about one hundred pounds being taken 
at one dredging in 1878. Through the courtesy of Prof. Baird a liberal 
supply was sent to Taft's at Point Shirley, and Parker's, Boston, where they 
were served up and pronounced excellent eating. These deep-sea flounders 
are some fifteen or eighteen inches long, resembling a small chicken halibut 
in form, and of a dull white color underneath and a light slate-colored back, 
with some peculiar markings about the head. Their presence in our waters 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 241 

was unsuspected until brought to light by the investigations of the Fish 
Commission. 

How the News of His Wife's Death Was Told Him. — One of our 
fishermen sailed on a mackereling trip, leaving his wife in her usual health, 
with no thought that the messenger of death was hovering so near. After 
a few days the wife died, and telegrams were sent to the husband along the 
coast, to such ports as it was likely the vessel might put in. But he never 
received them, and the vessel came home in about four weeks' time, arriv- 
ing at two o'clock in the morning. The skipper and crew came ashore, and 
on reaching the wharf the watchman asked the name of their vessel, and 
upon being informed took the skipper one side and told him the sad news 
and asked him to break it to the husband, as he had not the heart to. The 
skipper's heart failed him also, as he walked alongside the man up the 
wharf, into the familiar streets. Their houses lay in the same direction, the 
skipper's being the farthest off. Finally they reached the man's home, and 
as he stooped down to pick up a little stone to throw against the window 
of the chamber, to awaken his wife, as was his custom when arriving in the 
night, the skipper could no longer hesitate, but calling him by name, said : 
"Your wife will never awaken on earth again, as she died three days after 

you left home, and this was what Mr. told me when he took me one side 

on the wharf; but I couldn't find heart to tell you before." The terrible 
news almost paralyzed the poor fellow, and he could not realize that the 
wife whom he had left and whom he had hoped so soon to meet again, was 
gone from his sight forever. The family were soon awakened, and he was 
made acquainted with the full details of the event which cast a shadow over 
his life which time will never fully efface. 

Off for Georges. — The regular February appearance of large schools 
of codfish on Georges Bank, which are used by the fish for their spawning 
grounds, insures a large catch for the early fleet, and the temptation of big 
trips, and the consequent realization of good returns, cannot be resisted by 
men who have been lying idle and whose funds have run low, or to express 
it as they do, more emphatically, "We haven't a shot in the locker; the fish 
are there and we're just going for 'em ! " And who can blame them ? It 
is their business. They know its excitements and its dangers. Old ocean 
has been their cradle for many a year. They have been rocked to sleep by 
it in its calmer moods, as well as when in anger it has tossed their little 
crafts up and down on the billows, and the stormy blast has shrieked through 
the rigging, 'mid the gale. Georges may be their grave ; but this thought 
does not deter them from going. And no wonder they are anxious to start 
when they remember the big trips they have shared in ; quickly earned, too. 



2 42 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

An India Rubber Stomach. — The Chiasmodes Niger, brought in by sch. 
Bessie W. Somes, July 30, 1880, proved a rare specimen indeed, since it is a 
fish that can swallow fishes twice as large and four times as heavy as itself. 
This it can do because its mouth is very deeply cleft, its teeth bent, and its 
stomach elastic like india rubber. This is the third specimen known to 
science, the first having been found off the island of Madeira, and the sec- 
ond nn the Dominican Sea. The specimen brought in by the Somes was 
ten inches long, and had in its stomach a codfish eighteen inches in length. 

Eccentricities of the Swordfish. — The swordfish is found here and 
there from Spring to Fall in the ocean on our coast, lying " asleep," the 
fishermen call it, on the very surface of the water. Nobody on the Ameri- 
ican coast, so far as reported, ever saw a little swordfish. The smallest 
recorded by a correspondent of the "Forest and Stream" weighed forty-six 
pounds. Their only known breeding ground is in the Mediterranean Sea. 
There the same fish is found weighing half a pound ; from that they go up 
to very heavy measurement. It is naturally inferred from this that all our 
swordfish are Mediterranean products. What mysterious ocean current 
guides them over here ? Or is it instinct that teaches them that here they 
will find the mackerel and the menhaden that they feed on ? One can al- 
most imagine that the game of flight and pursuit kept up by these two spe- 
cies starts at Gibralter and is run to Block Island every year. The sword- 
fish darts upon a school of its prey and by skilful use of its sword wounds 
those that it afterwards captures and eats. Until within a few years nobody 
ever thought of catching it except by harpoons. Recently, however, it has 
taken the bait of the trawls of our cod fishermen, and many swordfish have 
been caught in that novel way. What they come up and "sleep" for is one 
of the puzzles of their nature. They come and go as the mackerel and 
menhaden do, and from that it is naturally concluded that they spend their 
time chasing these small fish. What with sharks, swordfish, porpoises, blue- 
fish, sea-gulls, eagles and seines, and all the rest after them, the fish of the 
herring tribe have led such lives of fright and terror that it is no longer a 
wonder that the movements of any school of them seem guided by an inher- 
ent idiocy. It is even less strange that they are all the while victims than 
that, being caught by millions yearly, they should steadily increase. 

Why the Red Sea Is Red. — Geographers were not able to determine 
why the Red Sea was so named until Ehrenberg, sailing over a part of it, 
observed that the water of the whole Gulf of Tor was colored a blood red. 
Drawing up some of the water, and examining it with a microscope, he 
found that the color was due to a minute, thread-like oscillatoria or alga. 
The same alga was observed by Dupont twenty years afterwards, giving rise 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



243 



to the same appearance even on extent of 556 nautical miles. A similar 
plant was noticed by Darwin, in his voyage around the world, covering Hie 
water near Abrolhos Island, off the coast of Brazil. Oersted, in 1845, no ~ 
ticed that the water near Maderia had a peculiar obscurity, which was occa- 
sioned by numerous minute tufts of oscillatoria waving in the mass. These 
plants are found all the way to the West Indies, sometimes thick enough to 
give a color to the water, but never wholly wanting. In other cases the sea 
is colored red by animals, of different kinds, by minute crustaceans or infu- 
soria, or eggs. The name red or vermilion sea has been given to two dif- 
ferent microscopic infusoriae. One of the coloring animals is irritating to 
the skin, and produces blisters and sores on the bodies of those who come 
in contact with it. 

ubstitute for Cod Liver Oil. — It is claimed by a 
writer in "Nature" that the oil of the "oolachen " or 
"ulikou," the candlefish of Alaska, possesses all the 
medicinal qualities of cod liver oil. This fish has long 
been an ichthyological curiosity, and has been noticed 
by almost every traveler who has visited the coasts of 
British Columbia and Southern Alaska. It is a small 
silvery fish, averaging about fourteen inches long, in 
general appearance much resembling a smelt. It is 
the fattest of all known fish, affording a very superior oil when tried out. 
Dried, the fish serve as torches. When a light is needed the tail is touched 
to the fire, and they will burn with a bright light for some time. No de- 
scription can give an adequate idea of their numbers when ascending the 
rivers from the sea. The water is literally alive with them and appears to 
be boiling. These fisheries appear not to have been hitherto utilized except 
by the natives, who esteem the ulikon as a great delicacy. The oil at pres- 
ent is said to be gaining a high reputation in this country and has recently 
been introduced into England, where it will probably take a prominent place 
as an important medicine. 

Habits of Eels. — The habits of the eel are very different from those of 
any other fish, and are as yet but little understood. " This, so far as we 
know," writes Prof. Baird, "is the only fish the young of which ascend from 
the sea to attain maturity, instead of descending from the fresh to the salt 
water. Its natural history has been a matter of considerable inquiry within 
a few years, although even now we are far from having that information 
concerning it that would be desirable, in view of its enormous abundance 
and its great value as a food fish. The eggs of the eel are for the most 
part laid in the sea, and in early Spring, the period varying with the latitude, 
the young fish may be seen ascending the river in vast numbers, and when 




244 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

arrested by an apparently impassable barrier, natural or artificial, they will 
\e!ttve the water and make their way above the obstruction, in endeavoring 
to reach the point at which they aim. Here they bury themselves in the 
mud and feed on any kind of animal substance, the spawn of fish, the roes 
of shad, small fish, etc. At the end of their sojourn in the ponds or streams 
they return to the sea, and are then captured in immense numbers in many 
rivers in what are called fish-baskets. A V-shaped fence is made, with the 
opening down stream into the basket, into which the eels fall, and from 
which they cannot easily escape. This same device, it may be incidentally 
stated, captures also great numbers of other fish, such as shad, salmon, and 
other anadromous fish, to their grievous destruction. As might be expected, 
however, the Falls of Niagara constitute an impassable barrier to their as- 
cent. The fish is very abundant in Lake Ontario, and until artificially intro- 
duced was unknown in Lake Erie. At the present time, in the Spring and 
Summer, the visitor who enters under the sheet of water at the foot of the 
ifalls will be astonished at the enormous number of young eels crawling over 
the slippery rocks and squirming in the seething whirlpools. An estimate 
of hundreds of wagon-loads, as seen in the course of the perilous journey 
referred to, would hardly be considered excessive by those who have visited 
the spot at a suitable season of the year." 

The Men Who Man the Fishing Fleets. — From carefully prepared 
statistics we learn that the number of men engaged on board the Gloucester 
fishing fleets the past year (1881) was 4,142, divided as follows : Georges fleet, 
11,460; Western Bank, 284 ; Grand Bank, 360 ; fresh halibut, 330 ; mackerel- 
iing, 1,120; shore fishing, 430; dory fishing, 125; trap fishing, 24. This 
*daes not Include the crews of vessels from other ports who fit from here. 

The Alaska Codfish. — Dr. Tarleton Ff. Bean, who was on the U. S. 
Fish -Commission Corps in this city in 1878, and who was sent to Alaska by 
Prof. Baird in the Summer of 1880, to investigate the codfishery of that 
country, reports that the Alaska cod is the same as that of New England 
and Europe, the iGadus mo?-rhua, with the same occasional variations. He 
says that Golden cod, red cod and other alga? forms are as well known at 
the Shumagin Islands as they are around Cape Cod and Cape Ann ; the 
beautiful lemon-yellow fish, which occasionally are found in Ipswich Bay 
schools, are duplicated in Alaskan waters. The habits and food of the cod 
are similar to those on our coast. The shore fish about Kodiak make their 
appearance in schools similar to ours — first the "herring school," next the 
"lant school," then the "capelin school," followed by the "squid school," 
and the "winter school." Besides these there is an abundance of bank fish, 
which are always larger than those previously named. The cod come on 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 245 

♦ 
the rocks in twenty-five to thirty fathoms about Kodiak to spawn in Novem- 
ber and December, just as they do in the East, and these spawning fish #ill 
at times be perfectly still on the bottom and refuse to take the hook. Young 
cod swarm near the shores, just as they were observed to do in Gloucester 
Harbor after the experiments of the U. S. Fish Commission with artificial 
propagation. The Pacific waters have also a genuine pollock, weaker than 
its Eastern relative, and halibut also abound, but the cusk and haddock 
have not yet been found in Alaskan waters. 

What One Fishing District Does for 
the Farmer and Planter. — To one who has 
given the subject no thought, the extent to 
which the fishing industry is a patron of agri- 
culture is a matter of surprise. The jealousy 
with which the people of the West and South 
have regarded the protection extended by the 
government in times past to the fisheries, and 
which it now inadequately provides in certain concessions in regard to the 
duty on salt, has been ill-judged and unreasonable, since equal protection 
has been afforded to other producing interests, and the fishing business is 
an important customer for the products of the plantation and field. A care- 
ful investigation shows that the fishing fleet of Gloucester consumes annu- 
ally the following products of the farmer and planter : 

Cotton, in fishing lines, seines and nets, 530,000 lbs.; in sails (yearly wear), 
225,000 lbs.; rice, 24,300 lbs.; butter, 198,450 lbs.; lard, 182,250 lbs.; dried 
apples, 61,560 lbs.; mustard, 1,215 lbs.; sa g e > lI ° lbs.; squashes, 26,550 
lbs.; fresh meat, 126,765 lbs.; flour, 7,985 bbls.; beef, 4,455 bbls.; pork 
shoulders, 1,721 bbls.; pork, 1,215 bbls.; beans, 1,822 bush.; peas, 810 bush.; 
potatoes, 33,615 bush.; onions, 2,430 bush.; beets, 1,215 bush.; turnips, 
1,620 bush.; meal, 1,280 bush.; cabbages, 4,560 doz.; vinegar, 1,620 gals.; 
pepper sauce, 1,315 bottles; milk, 38,400 cans. 

To the above add the amount consumed by those employed in the fishing 
business ashore, together with the necessary provisions for their families and 
the families of those at sea, and it makes the fishing business one of great 
pecuniary interest to the planter, farmer and stock-raiser. 

The Highest Price ever received for mackerel was in 1879, when sch. 
Crest of the Wave, Capt. David Melanson, took 80 bbls. off Thacher's Isl- 
and, of which 25 bbls. were the largest and fattest ever brought to this 
port, eighty mackerel filling a barrel, and selling for $40. Sch. Mary Odell, 
Capt. McClain, took 20 bbls. of the same quality, which were sold in Bos- 
ton, also for $40 per bbl. 



24 6 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Veteran Fishermen. — Mr. George Merchant, 74 years of age, was en- 
g%ed in the mackerel fishery from May 4 to Sept. 1, 1881, and helped to 
take care of a catch of 1,200 barrels of mackerel ; he has been engaged in 
fishing some part of the season ever since he was ten years of age. 

Mr. George Gerring of East Gloucester, 72 years of age, was engaged in 
the Georges fishery in the Spring of 1881 on board sch. Light Wing, and 
caught an average share ; he commenced fishing when thirteen years of age. 

Mr. Charles A. Furgerson of Robinstown, Me., 50 years of age, has fol- 
lowed fishing from this port for thirty-four years, and for twenty-one years 
was on Georges every season regularly. His first trip was in sch. Cherokee. 
Mr. Furgerson was one of the original subscribers to "Procters' Able 
Sheet." When he was in the Pioneer he hauled one pair of halibut weigh- 
ing 300 pounds, which sold for $42.62. He is now on board the Charles 
H. Hildreth. He states that he never saw good luck on board a vessel 
when a land bird flies on board. 

The New England Codfish Catch for 1S81. — The New England catch 
of cod and other ground fish is reported at 775,627 qtls., against 647,426 
qtls. the previous year. The Massachusetts catch alone was 548,640 qtls., 
Gloucester taking ^the lead with 431,800 qtls. (nearly 55^ per Cent, of the 
New England catch, and nearly 77 per cent, of the Massachusetts catch), 
and Provincetown coming next with 86,317 qtls. The Portland catch was 
7S,ooo qtls., Eastport, 28,000, Boothbay, 19,071, Vinalhaven, 14,175, Bev- 
erly, 10,400, and no other New England port exceeded 10,000 qtls. 

Catching Cod around Newfoundland. — There are two ways in which 
the people around the Newfoundland coast and on that of Labrador engage 
in catching cod. Fish are caught in boats about the size of small schoon- 
ers, decked in and provided with comfortable " cuddies," which is where the 
fishermen cook, eat and sleep, or rest after the immediate toil is ended ; 
and they are caught in little open boats or skiffs, having two masts and 
sometimes a saucy little jib-boom, and these little boats they sail when there 
is wind, and row when it is calm. The large boats sometimes go a hundred 
miles from home around the coast to fish, and the fishermen live in them 
through the Summer, but the small boats go only a few miles from home, 
seldom stay out all night, but getting their loads, return to land. The' for- 
mer belong to the towns and harbors, or large villages ; the latter to the 
coves, we might say the crevices, around the coast. About the first of June 
the fishery commences, and in the first gray of the morning flocks of little 
boats with barked sails may be seen putting out from the rocks. At this 
time of the year the cod is usually hungry, for it has just come in from the 
banks of Newfoundland, meeting perhaps but few fish to prey on on its way. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



247 



When it reaches the coast it finds the herring there before it, and has a 
feast for its late fast. It is with the herring that the fisherman now catchfes 
the cod, for the caplin has not come, and it is too early for seines or nets, 
and fish being hungry, the hook and line and "bull-tow" train are in de- 
mand. The boat is a quarter of a mile out from the rocks, and on the 
Atlantic waters. There are two men in the boat, and having reached the 
spot where they intend to "try," they take down their sails and both stand 
up, one in the fore part of the boat, the other aft. Each has a pair of lines, 
and to each line a hook is set in a piece of lead, made in the shape of a fish, 
to make it sink. Each line is fastened to the boat. A sheath-knife is in 
the fisherman's belt, and with this he cuts his herring into bait sizes, puts a 
piece on the hook, which he throws to his right a distance of about twenty 
feet. He does the same with the line on his left, and his companion in the 
other end of the boat does the same thing. Thus each man has two lines 
out; he stands erect and "saws" his lines till he gets a bite — the sawing 
being a sudden long jerk, now to the right line, and now to the left, in reg- 
ular time. He starts. There is a sudden tug, and a thrill of life comes up 
the line to his hand. He lets go the other and hauls away, and the greater 




the weight the more gleefully does he haul, till the cod "breaks water," 
when, seizing a gaff — a contrivance with a wooden handle two feet long, to 
which is affixed a large iron hook — he sticks it into the body of the fish and 
jerks it in over the gunwale. While the hook seized by the fish serves to 
draw the fish to the surface, it would not be sufficient to lift it from the sur- 
face to the boat. The process of unhooking the fish to the novice is not 
an easy one, but to the expert it is not a matter of two seconds. Some- 
times a "spurt" comes on, which means that a school of hungry fish is pass- 
ing under the boat, and then the rapidity with which two practiced fishermen 
can haul in, unhook, bait, throw out and haul in again is certainly marvelous. 



An Important Discovery. — Mr. Robert E. Earle, who for some months 
was connected with the artificial propagation of deep sea fish experiments 
in this city, is credited with the discovery of the important fact that Spanish 
mackerel are vastly more productive than cod or shad, and that they can be 
artificially hatched in much less time. Mr. Earle learned from the Chesa- 
peake fishermen that large numbers of these fish annually frequented the 



24§ FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

waters of that bay, and on reporting that fact to Prof. Baird, was detailed 
to make experiments for their reproduction. On getting to work, he was 
surprised to find that the fish were hatched within eighteen hours from the 
time the milk and spawn were brought together, whereas it requires five 
days to hatch shad and eight to twelve days to hatch codfish. The number 
of eggs operated upon at a single time is between 200,000 and 300,000, 
while only 20,000 to 30,000 shad eggs are treated at once. The season for 
operations with the spawn of this fish is toward the last of June and first of 
July, after the shad hatching is over and before that of codfish commences. 

The First Wholesale Fish Store in Boston was established on Long 
Wharf by Mr. Ebenezer Nickerson in 1807. The first wholesale fresh fish 
store in Boston was opened on Long Wharf in 1835 by Messrs. Holbrook, 
Smith & Co. The mackerel purse seine dates from 1855. The canning of 
fish dates from 1845, m Maine. Vessels first began to carry ice to sea in 
1845, and dealers began to use it in shipping fish the same year; 20,000,000 
lbs. are now annually consumed by vessels and fish dealers. Nets were 
home-made until 1842, when the first net factory was established in Boston ; 
they were hand-made until 1865, when machinery was introduced in their 
manufacture. The earliest importations of mackerel were seven barrels in 
182 1. — From Records of Boston Fish Bureau. 

The Best Halibut Fare received at this port for several years was land- 
ed March 22, 1882, by sch. Grace L. Fears, Capt. Nathaniel Greenleaf. 
Her fare was taken by the New England and Atlantic Halibut Companies, 
and she weighed off 98,825 lbs. halibut and 3,000 lbs. codfish, 101,825 1 DS< 
in all, stocking $6086.50. Her crew shared $206.30. The cook's share was 
$253.05. She was gone five weeks and one day, during which time she was 
frozen up for eight days at Canso. This is the largest stock ever made on 
a halibut trip, although larger fares have been received several years ago. 

The Codfish — Its Value as Food — How the Grand Bank Was Formed. — 
What a marvelous influence upon civilization and human progress the hum- 
ble but nutritious codfish has had. He has been a mine of wealth to a vast 
population. It seems as though good Mother Nature, foreseeing the needs 
of humanity, had made special preparations for a good supply of this very 
necessary article of food for body and brain. She floated her icebergs, 
which were filled with the sandy bottom of northern seas, down to the Gulf 
Stream, where they melted and, depositing their debris, formed the Grand 
Bank of Newfoundland. It was the work, the slow and toilsome work, of 
ages. Every Spring thousands of these bergs, one-third above water and 
two-thirds below, the upper part clear, sparkling and translucent, reflecting 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 249 

the sunshine and giving it back to the enraptured eye with that prodigality 
and brilliancy of coloring which only nature can afford, the lower part mixed 
with the coast bottom of Greenland or Labrador to the extent of thousands 
of cart-loads, came floating down majestically through Davis' Strait, and 
meeting the warm air and warm water of the Gulf Stream, melted and de- 
posited their contribution, until at last those immense shoals were formed 
where the cod and haddock swarm. And it is said that these sand banks 
have huge depressions, like vast valleys, which serve as aquaria, and that 
when a fishing vessel is lucky enough to anchor over one of them, it can fill 
its hold and deck with as many as it can carry. For generations the inhab- 
itants of Newfoundland, and the venturesome folk who live all along the 
New England coast, get their daily bread, or lay up a competency from this 
never-failing source of wealth. What a vast number of people on the globe 
get their living out of and subsist principally on the invaluable cod, and 
what vast quantities have been landed by the fishing fleet of Gloucester, 
since her fishermen first engaged in the business. 

The Iceland Cod Fishery. — It is not generally known that next to 
Newfoundland, Iceland is the rendezvous for the vessels engaged in cod 
fishing. Large numbers of French smacks choose the latter ground. Dur- 
ing the season of 1881, owing to the large quantity of dried fish remaining 
unsold from the take of the previous season, there was a marked reduction 
in the number of fishing craft, but 193 having started for Iceland. The 
Norwegians engaged in the trade are improving their fishing apparatus 
every year, and they are extending their markets also. They have estab- 
lished herring fisheries all along the Icelandic coast, and not long since a 
large company was formed for the prosecution of this industry on a large 
scale ; but the results this season, we are told, have been discouraging for 
almost everybody engaged in it. Time and money have been lost for want 
of accurate information as to the weather, and, with a view to remedying 
defeat, telegraphic communication between the coast of Scotland and Reik- 
iawick, the capital of Iceland, is now spoken of. 

A Mermaid Captured. — A fisherman, a resident of As- 
pinwall, is reported to have recently captured a mermaid. 
There is silky blonde hair on the head ; the features of the 
face are perfectly even to the teeth, the arms are the same as human beings', 
with claws resembling an eagle's talons in place of finger nails. From the 
waist up the resemblance to a human being is unmistakable, and from the 
waist down the body is exactly the same as an ordinary mullet, with scales, 
fins and tails perfect. 




250 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Net Codfishing has been practically a failure the past season. In the 
Winter of 1880-81 the netting fleet in Ipswich Bay took large fares, while 
the trawlers met with much poorer success. On a recent trip in the same 
waters the sch. Magellan Cloud, with twenty-four nets set, took only about 
1,000 pounds codfish, while in four days fishing there a trawler took 20,000 
pounds. 

Helping Themselves. — One of the peculiarities of the white fish trade 
of the lakes is the traffic between the fishermen and the lake craft engaged 
in the carrying and passenger trade. These boats as they pass up and 
down the lakes frequently stop and take up the fishermen's nets and help 
themselves to what they want. The fish taken are weighed and the money 
to pay for them is attached to' the nets, which are again let down to the bot- 
tom of the lake. So it often happens that the fishermen in lifting their nets 
take in considerable money as well as fish. The lake captains are very 
honorable in this matter, and it has come to be an understood arrangement, 
satisfactory all around. 

The French Sardine Fishery. — Not less than 30,000 persons are en- 
gaged in the sardine fishery in France, and fully as many find occupation 
in "preserving" this fish. A writer in the Journal of the Society of Arts 
says that in taking the sardine the bait, which is called roe, plays an im- 
portant part. This lure is a kind of caviare made from the eggs of the cod 
preserved in brine, 35,000 barrels of which are imported from Norway every 
year. When the position of a shoal is ascertained the nets are let down 
and the master of the boat throws the bait, mixed with sand to cause it to 
sink, into the water. Emerald green flashes on the surface of the water 
denote the rise of some of the fish. Then the bait is liberally cast out, and 
soon the whole shoal rises into the nets. At one time a boat could take 
20,000 sardines, but now it is a rare thing to bring in more than from 5,000 
to 6,000 at a trip. When the boats land, the sardines are taken to the fac- 
tories in hampers containing about 500 apiece. There women cut off the 
heads of the fish, open and clean the bodies, and place each fish one by 
one on stone or marble slabs previously strewed with salt. While this pre- 
liminary drying is going on, the fires are lighted and the purest olive oil is 
put into immense caldrons. When the oil is boiling, the sardines are laid 
in layers in iron wire baskets provided with handles. These baskets are 
plunged into the oil and then placed on shelves covered with zinc to drain. 
When they are moderately dry they are taken to the large drying house, 
exposed to the sea breeze, and there they remain until fit to be stored and 
put into boxes. The largest are considered the finest, and the small ones 
are frequently passed off as anchovies. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 251 

Steam Whalers. — Steam vessels for whaling have proved highly profita- 
ble. The first one ever sent out from the Pacific coast was the Mary 6° 
Helen, which cleared in 188 1 enough to pay her entire cost and $40,000 be- 
sides. The second venture, that of the Belvidere, came back from a voyage 
of only six months with $100,000 worth of oil above the investment. The 
great success of these steamers is likely to revive the business of whaling. 

P. E. I. Fisheries. — The Prince Edward Island mackerel catch for 188 1 
was 36,083 bbls., about one-half the catch of 1880. 228,593 pound cans of 
lobsters were put up, double the quantity of the previous year. The codfish 
catch was 16,934 qtls., against 28,045 m 1880; hake, 10,023 qtls.; halibut, 
4,575 lbs.; haddock, 72,600 lbs.; herring, 28,545 bbls.; alewives, 1,917 bbls.; 
oysters, 20,815 bbls. 

Dangers of the Sea. — The dif- 
ference between handling a ship 
so that she escapes a danger, and 
in a way to plunge her headlong 
upon it, was doubly illustrated on 
a passage by the Algeria, which 
runs between New York and Liv- 
erpool, England. On her sixth "day out, in February, 1881, the Algeria 
found herself in a heavy fog on the Banks of Newfoundland. The ship was 
feeling her way cautiously along, all eyes and ears, so to say, when from 
over the port bow there sounded a fog bell. It seemed some distance off ; 
but Capt. Gill, swift as light, ordered a reversal of the engines. The screw 
flew round, the great ship paused, slowly backed, and none too soon. In a 
trice there loomed up through the fog a huge three-masted schooner rushing 
forward under full sail. Had the course of the Algeria been kept, had she 
failed to retreat at the moment she did, a collision would have been inevi- 
table. The schooner flew on her way straight across the foaming wake of 
the steamship, and a terrible calamity that might have cost hundreds of lives 
was happily averted. Very nearly the same thing happened again on the 
same evening, the dangerous craft that approached the Algeria in this in- 
stance being another large steamer. This time the stranger was not seen 
through the dense mist, but the voices of persons on the decks were heard 
with startling distinctness, and the case was apparently as narrow as in the 
case of the schooner. Eternal vigilance is as clearly the price of safety at 
sea as it is of liberty everywhere. Undoubtedly many of the fishing vessels 
which disappear so mysteriously, with no heavy gale to account for their 
loss, are run down by steamers or other large vessels, while at anchor on 
the Banks. 




252 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Fishing in Lapland. — The water is very clear at Hamerfest, in Lapland, 
and one may see everything that goes on among the fish. A few feet down 
you can see the young cod snapping at your hook ; a little lower down the 
coalfish, and the huge plaice and the halibut on the white sand at the bot- 
tom ; in other places the starfish, as large as a plate, and purple and green 
shellfish of all sizes. The plaice is taken in the following manner : In 
calm weather the fisherman takes a strong, fine cord, to which he has fast- 
ened a heavy spear-head, like a whale harpoon. This he holds ready over 
the bow of the boat, while another person paddles it forward slowly. When 
the fish is seen at the bottom, the boat is stopped and the harpoon is 
suddenly dropped upon him, and thus the fish is caught. In two hours the 
fishermen will get a boat load. The halibut are caught with hooks. They 
sometimes weigh 500 pounds, and if drawn up carelessly will overturn the 
boat. In many of the mountainous districts the rivers swarm with trout, 
the habit of which is to conceal themselves beneath the bowlder rocks in 
the bed of the stream, venturing out to feed only at night. Men, each with 
a heavy hammer, will enter these waters and strike one or two blows on the 
stones, when the fish run from their lurking place, partly stunned, and are 
easily caught. 

The Sea Cucumber, one of the curious jelly bodies that inhabit the 
ocean, can practically efface himself when in danger, by squeezing the water 
out of his body and forcing himself into a narrow crack — so narrow as not 
to be visible to the naked eye. He can throw out nearly the whole of his 
inside and yet live and grow it again. 

Swedish Popular Beliefs. — The teeth of large fish should be burnt, in 
order to be lucky in fishing. 

One ought to tell no one when one goes out to fish, and not mention 
whether one has caught many or few. 

Nor should any stranger see how many fish one has taken. 

When one rows out from land to fish, one must not run the boat against 
the sun. 

Pins found in a church and made into fish hooks catch the best. 

If a woman passes over the rod, no fish will bite. 

Stolen fishing tackle is lucky, but the person robbed loses his luck. — 
Thorpe's Northern Mythology. 

Salted Herring. — The art of salting and packing herring was discov- 
ered in the fourteenth century by Beukels, of Biervliet, in Flanders, who, 
after introducing it into- his own country, went to Finland and established 
it there, whence it spread to all the Baltic provinces. In 1856, Alexander 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 253 

II, Emperor of Russia, in his visit to Finland, after leaving Helsingfors, 
went to the little town of Borgo, and laid with great ceremony the first stone 
of a monument to the memory of the fisherman Beukels, who died in 1397, 
in his native village, where his tomb was once visited by the Emperor 
Charles V; and Peter the Great, in recognition of the importance of his 
discovery, gave a pension to one of his descendants. 

A Valuable Nautical Contrivance. — An extremely simple but inval- 
uable aid to navigation has recently been proposed by an experienced Brit- 
ish master mariner, by which he is confident the largest steamship in an 
ocean gale can be hove to with safety. His contrivance, as described in the 
London "Shipping Gazette," is on the drogue system, and the advantages 
he has experienced from it in emergency are "too great to express." His 
sea anchor or drogue is made of stout canvas in the shape of a bag, with a 
strong wire hoop at the top, to which the lanyard is fastened — the latter 
being shackled to a spar thirty feet long. The spar, fitted with three iron 
bands, is kept square by two wire guys, and fastened to a riding hawser 
made of wire or manila. The drogue, when in use, is about four fathoms 
beneath the surface of the agitated sea, thus escaping its force, and when 
full of water proves a great resistance, keeping the ship's head to the sea 
when driving to leeward in a heavy gale. This simple, cheap and quickly 
improvised contrivance would undoubtedly be useful to vessels thrown on 
their beam ends, or experiencing that ofttimes fatal accident — shifting of the 
cargo in the presence of a severe storm. It would also, in many cases, by 
enabling a disabled steamer to avoid drifting out of her course, or helping 
her to keep out of the central path of an advancing cyclone, prove a timely 
safeguard to life and property at sea. 

A Novel Experiment has been tried at the port of Peterhead in Scot- 
land, where the waves of the North Sea have an unchecked sweep from the 
wild coast of Norway, and break so furiously at the harbor mouth that warn- 
ing signals are given against attempting to enter the harbor. A wooden 
shed was erected and iron and lead piping carried down the beach a dis- 
tance of nearly one hundred yards. Then a strong gutta-percha pipe with 
three openings seventy-five yards apart was laid across the entrance to the 
harbor. A force pump in the shed supplies this tubing with oil to allay the 
waves. Recently the waves were running twenty feet high at the mouth of 
Peterhead harbor, and the pump was put at work. The oil was forced 
through the pipes and out of the valves. It spread over the bottom, rose to 
the top of the water, and in a short time the seething foam was gone. Not 
a white cap remained within reach of the calming fluid. Although the swell 
continued, the surface of the sea was quite smooth, so that " a small boat 



254 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



could have entered the dock without the slightest danger." The ship mas- 
ters who witnessed the experiment were satisfied with the result. 

Why would it not be well for our fishermen on the Banks, or elsewhere, 
in some of the terrible gales, to try this experiment ? It has the same effect 
when poured upon the troubled waters as if pumped or otherwise placed 
thereon. 

A Remarkable Spectacle. — The steamer Victoria, at New York from 
Glasgow, reported witnessing a remarkable spectacle on the eastern edge of 
Grand Bank, December 18, 1876. During the height of a gale of unusual 
severity there appeared on the trucks, yards and stays, large balls of fire 
or phosphorus, strung on the stays or yards at intervals of a foot or two, 
giving the ship the appearance of being decorated with Chinese lanterns, 
only more brilliant ; they settled on the vessel like a shower of meteors, and 
disappeared almost as suddenly as they appeared, an occasional one drop- 
ping from the yards, bursting with a loud report ; one of them fell and burst 
almost in the face of the chief officer, making a noise like a small piece of 
artillery, but causing no more inconvenience than dazzling him for the 
moment. 





[CHINESE HOUSE-BOAT.] 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



255 




A Fishing Party, 



A bright Summer day, with a good breeze stirring, can be used most en- 
joyably on a fishing party, similar to that depicted above. They are bound 
out on the grounds, and are having a good run off. Let us in imagination 
follow them. In about an hour they will reach one of the many spots where 
fish do congregate off Cape Ann's rugged shore, when down will go the 
anchor and sails ; the lines will be in readiness, and all will "chip in" a sil- 
ver coin, the whole of which will be given to the lucky individual who shall 
pull in the first fish. Now all is excitement. The hooks are baited and 
the lines with their heavy leaden sinkers lowered until the bottom is felt, 
then pulled up a couple of feet, all ready for some hungry cod to snap at 
the bait and get hooked on by the dexterous jerk which will follow the first 
nibble. There's one around your line ! Careful, now ! Ah, you've got him ! 
And up he comes, a six-pounder, and the fish for the chowder is secured, 
and you also have earned the prize money. 



256 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



The fun now commences, and there is rare sport bringing in the thrifty 
fish. It is most exciting, and a generous rivalry prevails as to who will catch 
the most fish. Bye-and-bye they slack up biting, and the " inner man " calls 
loudly for something to appease that terrible appetite which the exercise and 
cool sea breezes have provoked. A savory odor pervades the atmosphere, 
which indicates that the chowder is underway, and soon it is served up 
smoking hot, and receives that attention which it so well deserves. The 
day passes merrily by, with song and story and good cheer, when, late in 
the afternoon the return is made, and all agree that the day has proved a 
"red one" in the calendar. 

This party, as will be observed, is composed of the male gender entirely, 
and is an impromptu affair; but oftentimes large yachts are used, with 
finely fitted up cabins, having accommodations suitable for the fair sex, and 
in company with the ladies the enjoyments of a fishing party are greatly 
enhanced. This is one of the many pleasures of the sea coast in the pleas- 
ant Summer months, and once participated in there is a desire to repeat it. 



NOT A BENE." 



BY JUNIPER. 



A ship, once crossing over the sea — 
I tell the story as 'twas told to me— 
Made a hundred miles or so from shore, 
When a craft was one day seen that bore 
Her flag reversed, while 'gainst the mast 
The torn sails fluttered as the wind rushed 
past. 

" Out with the boat ! " the captain cried, 
And the seamen darted over the side ; 
Their oars fell in with a regular dip, 
As they rapidly neared the silent ship. 
When they reached the deck a sight met their 

eyes 
"Which made them start with fearful surprise. 

All around on the deck the crew were lying, 



And groaning aloud as tho' they were dying ; 
The captain alone on a hen-coop sat, 
With his face in hands and a weed on his hat ; 
He gazed on them all with a bloodshot eye, 
And the crew looked up with a heart-rend- 
ing sigh. 

" Say, why do you raise the flag of distress, 

And sit around deck in idleness? 

Are you out of food? Have you used up 

your water? 
Have you got the plague? Or what is the 

matter?" 
" We came from iieverly, and the flag you 

have seen 
Is because for three days tee have been out 

of beans! " 




FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 257 



The Mackerel Pocket, or "Spiller," 

Among the improvements in fishing apparatus there are none, perhaps, 
that appear to be more important than one patented by H. E. Willard, of 
Portland, Me. — an article long needed in the mackerel seine fishery, and 
which has received from the fishermen the name of " Mackerel Pocket," or 
"Spiller." It was first used by the patentee in 1878, and Capt. George 
Merchant, Jr., of this city, subsequently invented and put into practical 
operation an improved "spiller." 

The apparatus is a large net bag, 36 feet long, 15 feet wide and 30 feet 
deep. It is made of stout, coarse twine, and is attached to the side of the 
vessel, where it is kept in position, when in use, by wooden poles or " out- 
riggers," which extend out a distance of fifteen feet from the schooner's 
rail. When distended in this manner a spiller will hold over 200 barrels 
of mackerel, which can thus be kept alive, as in the well of a smack, until 
the crew have time to cure their catch. As is well known, it frequently 
happens that several hundred barrels of mackerel are taken at a single haul. 
Heretofore, when such a large quantity of fish were caught, but a compar- 
atively small portion of them could be cured by the crew of the vessel to 
which the seine belonged. The result was that when a large catch was 
made, a considerable percentage of the fish were generally "given away" to 
some other vessel, since if only a part of them were removed from the seine 
to the vessel's deck, the remainder being left in the net until the first lot 
were cured, the chances were nine to one that the fine twine of which the 
purse-seines are made would be bitten in many places by the swarming dog- 
fish. In addition to the injury of the net, the inclosed body of fish were 
thus allowed to escape, robbing the fisherman of a large portion of the fruit 
of his labors. 

The spiller being made of coarse twine, though not entirely exempt from 
the ravages of the dogfish and sharks, is rarely injured by them. And now 
when a large school of mackerel are caught in a seine, the fish are turned 
into the bag, from which they are bailed out on the schooner's deck only as 
fast as they can be dressed, and in this way it frequently happens that a full 
fare may now be secured from a single set of the seine. 



2 5 8 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



On the Loss of the ''Royal George." 

Written when the news arrived, 1782. 

BY WILLIAM COWPER. 




Toll for the brave — 

The brave that are no more I 
All sunk beneath the wave, 

Fast by their native shore. 

Eight hundred of the brave, 
Whose courage well was tried, 

Had made the vessel heel, 
And laid her on her side. 

A land-breeze shook the shrouds, 

And she was overset ; 
Down went the Royal George, 

With all her crew complete. 

Toll for the brave ! 

Brave Kempenfelt is gone ; 
His last sea-tight is fought, 

His work of glory done. 

It was not in the battle ; 
No tempest gave the shock ; 
i 



She sprang no fatal leak; 
She ran upon no rock. 

His sword was in its sheath ; 

His fingers held the pen, 
When Kempenfelt went down 

With twice four hundred men. 

Weigh the vessel up, 
Once dreaded by our foes ! 

And mingle with the cup 
The tear that England owes. 

Her timbers yet are sound, 

And she may float again, 
Full charged with England's thunder, 

And plough the distant main. 

But Kempenfelt is gone, 

His victories are o'er ; 
And he and his eight hundred 

Shall plough the wave no more. 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



2 59 




A Banker Discharging Her Fare, 

Here we give a familiar scene to the Winter fisherman and the many who 
congregate at this busy spot — a Banker getting ready to discharge her fare 
of halibut at the Atlantic Halibut Company's wharf. She has had a hard 
time of it on the passage home, as it was cold and stormy, and got badly 
iced up. But she is all safe now, with her halibut in prime order, a quick 
market and good prices. This compensates for the hardships endured, and 
the fishermen are feeling jubilant at the prospect of a pile of crisp bank 
notes when they take their check up to the bank to be cashed. The 
square-rigger is a salt vessel at the head of Parkhurst's wharf, which gives 
a commercial aspect pleasing to look upon. 



A Good Answer. — At the hearing before the Fishery Committee at the 
State House, not long since, a veteran fisherman from this city was asked 
by one of the lawyers what he knew about fishing. "What don't I know, 
would be a better question to ask. 'Squire," was the reply. "Why, I've fol- 
lowed it forty years and caught everything that swims, from a whale to a 
shrimp." There was a hum of subdued merriment, and he was not further 
interrogated. 



260 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



Loss of Life and Vessel Property from January 1 to 

April 1, 1882, 

Since our report was made up at the beginning of the year and put in type 
for this volume, there have been lost from this port 102 lives, and 9 vessels 
valued with their outfits and one cargo of herring at $52,000, as follows : 

Sch. WATER SPIRIT, 60.28 tons, owned by George Garland, engaged 
in the Winter shore fishery, went* ashore on Rye Beach during a thick snow 
storm, on the night of Jan. 31, and proved a total loss. Crew saved. Val- 
ue, $3,000 ; insured for $2,200, with $400 additional on outfits. 

Sch. BUNKER HILL, 100.77 tons > owned by Michael Walen & Son and 
Capt. John McDonald, on the passage home from Fortune Bay, N. F., Jan. 
25, with frozen herring, went ashore during a heavy snow storm, on Bemo 
Ledge, Eastern Point, and became a total wreck. Value, with outfits, $7,500 ; 
insurance, $5,017, and $1,000 on outfits. The cargo was valued at $4,000, 
and uninsured. 

Sch. EDITH M. PEW, 62.75 tons, owned by John Pew & Son, engaged 
in the Georges haddocking fishery, left port Jan. 18. Was reported in a 
Nova Scotian port, and last seen on Georges by sch. Noonday, Capt. Edward 
Trevoy, Feb. 3, two days before the gale in which it is supposed she was 
lost. Crew list — William Corliss, master; Martin Moran, Samuel Byers, 
Murdock White, Andrew Conley, Michael Norton, Charles Lawson, Keaton 
Roderick, John Taylor, John LeeVanance, Martin Lewis, Bartholomew 
Ryan, William Davis, Hugh Phalen. Value, $5,500; insurance, $3,000, in 
the Gloucester Fire Insurance office. 

Sch. PAUL REVERE, 64.90 tons, owned by Capt. Andrew Leighton, 
another of the Georges haddocking fleet, sailed Jan. 24, and was last seen 
by Capt. John Ryan of sch. David A. Story on Georges, Feb. 4, the day 
before the heavy gale, in which it is supposed she was lost. By many 
it is thought that this vessel and the Edith M. Pew collided during the 
storm and went down together. Crew list — John Bentley, master ; Martin 
Thomas, Henry Lufkin, Fred Scott, Patrick Durant, Patrick Kennedy, 
Martin Costello (father-in-law to Capt. Bentley), James Fitzgerald, Martin 
Conley, John Francis, Joseph Simmons, Patrick Nye, Michael Naughton, 
Michael King. Value, $5,000; insurance, $4,034, and $1,100 on outfits, in 
the Gloucester Mutual Fishing Insurance office. 

Sch. BESSIE W. SOMES, 92.56 tons, owned by George Clark & Co., 
sailed for Grand Bank Jan. 2, and was last seen Feb. 2 by a returned Bank- 
er, when she was ready to come home with her trip. She was probably lost 



FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 261 

in the gale of Feb. 5. Crew list — Merrill Wright, master; Felix Gallant, 
Peter Scanling, Albert Gardner, Augustus Morine, James Burbank, Daniel 
Hiltz, William Davidson, Henry McLaughlin, Edward Butt, James Johnson, 
William Parsons, John McPherson, William Wyman. Value, $6,000 ; in- 
surance, $5,598 and $1,200 on outfits, in the Gloucester Mutual Fishing 
Insurance office. 

Sch. CHARLES CARROLL. 58.64 tons, owned by Benjamin Montgom- 
ery & Son, left on a Georges trip Jan. 12, and was last seen the day of the 
gale. Crew list — John Publicover, master; Albion Robinson, Herbert Nor- 
ton (brother-in-law. to master), Charles Deimon, W. J. Louder, Robert Wil- 
kinson, John Hayden, John O'Hara, Fred. Watts, Paul McDonald, John 
Noland. Value, $2,700 ; insurance, $2,200, in the Gloucester Fishing In- 
surance office. 

Sch. BELLEROPHON, 85.65 tons, owned by Michael Walen & Son, left 
port, Jan. 23, on a Bank halibut trip. She was out in the severe gale of 
Feb. 5, and it was reported that she was seen previous to this gale with her 
windlass broken. Crew list — Alfred Wyman, master; James E. Mullen, 
Lee F. Gilpatrick, Andrew J. Olson, George Rudolf Liledahl, William W. 
Marshall, Frank Long, Alexander McCloud, Joseph A. Campbell, James 
McNair, Francis A. Harding, William H. Cook, Samuel Hayes, H. P. Pe- 
terson. Value, $6,000, and outfits, $1,200; insurance, $4,300, and $1,200 
on outfits, in Gloucester Mutual Fishing Insurance office. 

Sch. NORTHERNER, 65 tons, owned by Sylvanus Smith & Co., left 
port Feb. 28 for a Georges trip, and is supposed to have been lost in the ter- 
rible gale of March 17 th. Crew list — Isaac H. Goodwin, master ; Israel 
Goodwin, Amos Goodwin, Robert Lennox, Foster Grayton, George Larken, 
Daniel McConneskey, Thomas J. Morris, Robert Lennox, James Malone, 
Thomas Wilson ; Edward A. Gilson, steward. Value, $3,000 ; insurance, 
$2,200 and $400 on outfits, in the Gloucester Mutual Fishing Insurance 
office. 

Sch. VICTOR, 70.91 tons, owned by J. O. Procter, Jr., also of the Georges 
fleet, left port March 3, and no tidings were heard from her after the terri- 
ble gale of the 17th. Crew list — Patrick J. Fanning, also known as Charles 
Whalen, master ; George Powers, John Callanan, John Welch, Frank Dixon ; 
Dennis Hessian, Thomas Eylward, John Ryan, Martin Simmons, William 
H. Perrill, James Murphy, Michael Tohey. Value, $4,500 ; insurance, 
$3,871, and $500 on outfits, in the Gloucester Mutual Fishing Insurance 
office. 

Lost Overboard. — George Devine fell from the main-boom of sch. Etta 
Gott on the passage from Georges Jan. 31 ; John B. Nelson, from sch. Her- 
man Babson, on the passage to Fortune Bay, N. F., Jan. 2 ; Manuel Re- 
pose, from sch. Anna D., on Georges, March 17 ; Michael Savage from sch. 



262 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Smuggler, on Georges, March 20; Capt. George Bearse from sch. Jonas H. 
French, in the mackereling fishery, March 26. 

Lost in Dories. — Jeremiah Haley and James Dunphy from sch. M. A. 
Baston, Feb. 3. James McGrath, Peter Christian, Charles Rosmuson and 
Fred. Keamp, from sch. Corrinna H. Bishop, Feb. 5. 

With these additions the aggregate losses in the fishing business from 
Gloucester since 1830, the year the Georges fishery commenced, are 2,351 
lives, and 428 vessels valued at $1,862,710. 



The following are the details of the losses from Oct. 1, 1873 to Jan. 1, 
1874. The aggregate is given in the table, but the details were overlooked 
in making up the account on page 66 ; we therefore insert here. 

Sch. CONNAUGHT RANGER, 21. 11 tons, owned by Capt. Nicholas 
Murphy, was wrecked at Fresh Water Cove Oct. 20. Crew saved. Value, 
$1,000; insurance, $500, in the Gloucester Fire Insurance office. 

Sch. JOHN P. HALE, 38.59 tons, owned by J. F. Wonson & Co., drove 
out of the harbor on the night of Nov. 17, and was totally wrecked near 
Old House Cove. Crew saved. Value, $2,000; insurance, $1,800, in the 
Gloucester Fire Insurance office. • 

Sch. EXCELSIOR, 38.30 tons, owned by Capt. George Merchant, Jr., and 
others, sunk at her anchors in Marblehead harbor, on the night of Nov. 17. 
Crew saved. Value, $1,000 ; insurance, $875. Abandoned to the under- 
writers. 

Lost Overboard. — George Farrance from sch. Fanny Fern, Oct. 5 ; Wil- 
liam Colwell from sch. Noonday, Oct. 7. 

Lost in Dories. — George Cook and Jesse Oliver from sch. Tubal Cain, 
Oct. 14; Charles Reynolds and Patrick Phalen from sch. Alary E., Oct. 18 ; 
Moses Cahoon and William Reeves from sch. Sultana, Nov 4 ; Daniel Man- 
ning and John Donnelly from sch. William T. Smith, Nov. 19. 



LIST OF VESSELS. 

The following list comprises the vessels owned in the District of Glou- 
cester, April 15, 1882, together with the tonnage, the year built, and the 
fitters' or principal owners' names. All are schooners with the exception 
of those otherwise designated. 



GLOUCESTER HARBOR 



Name of Vessel. 


Tons. 


When Built. 


Owners' or Fitters' Names. 


Abbie Dodge, 


59.61 


1868 


Sylvanus Smith & Co. 


Abbott Coffin (stm lighter) 


,68.80 


1882 


Francis Locke. 


Aberdeen, 


70.12 


1874 


James G. Tarr & Bro. 


A. C. Newhall, 


37.31 


1858 


Atlantic Halibut Co. 


Active, (sloop,) 


73.62 


1869 


Lanesville Granite Co. 


Ada R. Terry, 


69.29 


1877 


D. C. & H. Babson. 


Addie Emma, 


37.10 


1866 


George Garland. 


Addie M. Story, 


61.36 


1867 


Oakes & Foster. 


Addison Center, 


74.94 


1875 


D. C. & H. Babson. 


Addison G. Procter, 


89.15 


1876 


Joseph O. Procter, Jr. 


Adelia Hartwell, 


60.29 


1869 


D. C. & H. Babson. 


Admiral, 


77.42 


1877 


Joseph O. Procter, Jr. 


Alaska, 


63.87 


1867 


George Norwood & Son. 


Albert H. Harding, 


64.33 


1870 


George Norwood & Son. 


Alfaretta, 


55.32 


1858 


Eli Jackman & Co. 


Alfred Walen, 


66.77 


1870 


Cunningham & Thompson, 


Alice, 


72.18 


1882 


John Pew & Son. 


Alice, (boat,) 


8.11 


1878 


George H. Oakes. 


Alice G. Wonson, 


64.18 


1870 


William H. Perkins, Jr. 


Alice M. Williams, 


82.06 


1877 


D. C. & H. Babson. 


A. Lincoln, 


46.76 


1865 


John Pew & Son. 


Amos Cutter, 


60.85 


1865 


James G. Tarr & Bro. 


Anable, (boat,) 


16.27 




Master. 


A. N. Clark, 


51.46 


1853 


Atlantic Halibut Co. 


Anne D., 


67.67 


1882 


John Pew & Son. 


Anne & Mary, 


72.29 


1881 


Michael Murray. 


Anna H. Frye, 


67.40 


1866 


John F. Wonson & Co. 


Anna H. Mason, 


30.64 


1875 


James Lyle. 


Annie W. Hodgdon, 


25.24 


1880 


William Wiley. 


Annie E. Lane, 


50.85 


1870 


George Dennis. 


Ann Eliza, 


58.43 


1860 


John Pew & Son. 


Apollo, (boat,) 


12.24 




Daniel Smith. 


Aqua Pura, (boat,) 


11.23 


1877 


Peter Hamlin. 


Arequipa, 


71.95 


1865 


Rowe & Jordan. 


Arethusa, (boat,) 


17.32 


1880 


Master. 


Argonaut, 


74. 


1876 


James G. Tarr & Bro. 



264 


LIST OF 


VESSELS. . 


Name of Vessel. 


Tons. When Built. 


Owners' or Fitters' Names. 


Arizona, 


48.95 


1857 


Andrew Leighton. 


Augusta H. Johnson, 


65.71 


1874 


George A. Johnson. 


Avon, (boat,) 


6.91 




Master. 


Azalia, 


13.22 




Master. 


B. A. Kimball, (boat,) 


11.62 




Michael Kelly. 


Barracouta, 


68.57 


1870 


Rowe & Jordan. 


Belleview, 


15.61 




Master. 


B. B. Gangloff, (steamer 


,) 13.65 


1869 


Master. 


B. D. Haskins, 


56.69 


1860 


James G. Tarr & Bro. 


B. F. Somes,. 


59.22 


1868 


Samuel Haskell. 


Blanche Creamer, (boat,) 15.90 . 




Sylvanus Smith & Co. 


Bloomer, 


50.64 


1851 


John F. Wonson & Co. 


Blue Jay, 


29.10 


1865 


John F. Wonson & Co. 


Bounding Billow, 


57.18 


1860 


Shute & Merchant. 


Capitola, (boat,) 


6.61 




James Bates. 


Carle ton, 


63.08 


1869 


John F. Wonson & Co. 


Carl Schurz, 


72.60 


1872 


Rowe & Jordan. 


Carl W. Baxter, 


69.38 


1882 


Pettengill & Cunningham. 


Carrie C, 


75.47 


1882 


Dennis & Ayer. 


Carrie E. Sa3 T ward, 


62.18 


1870 


Say ward Bros. 


Carthage, 


65.94 


1877 


George Steele. 


C. B. Manning, 


72.25 


1866 


Dennis & Ayer. 


Centennial, 


115.96 


1876 


D. C. & H.Babson. 


Challenge, 


56.27 


1852 


George J. Tarr & Co. 


Champion, 


68.41 


1876 


John Pew & Son. 


Champion, (boat,) 


19.32 




William C. Wonson & Co. 


Charger, 


53.91 


1859 


John Chisholm. 


Charles C. Warren, 


108.87 


1866 


Amos Rackliffe. 


Charles S. Tappan, 


71.79 


1881 


Andrew Leighton. 


Charles Haskell, 


65.62 


1869 


Samuel Haskell. 


Charles H. Hildreth, 


58.20 


1867 


Wonson Bros. 


Charles P. Barrett, 


47.89 


1867 


McKenzie, Hardy & Co. 


Charles P. Thompson, 


73.53 


1866 


Benjamin Low. 


Chester R. Lawrence, 


90.97 


1874 


George Clark & Co. 


Chocorua, 


62.87 


1869 


John Pew & Son. 


Christina L., 


44.33 




Frank W. Miller. 


Clara D. Swett, (boat,) 


14.47 




Frank Douglass. 


Clara F. Friend, 


64.93 


1867 


Benjamin Montgomery. 


Clyde, 


28.08 


1876 


Robert Robinson. 


Clytie, 


72.17 


1873 


Rowe & Jordan. 


Col. Cook, 


64.75 


1866 


Andrew Leighton. 


Col. J. H. French, 


83.19 


1879 


Benjamin Low. 


Colorado, 


58.26 


1858 


Benjamin Montgomery. 


Com. Foote, 


63.80 


1862 


Cunningham & Thompson 


Commonwealth, 


85.51 


1877 


James G. Tarr & Bro. 


Concord, 


98.56 


1875 


John Pew & Son. 


Conductor, 


73.66 


1877 


Samuel Haskell. 


Constitution, 


28.21 


1850 


Wonson Bros. 


Coral, (boat,) 


13.99 




Herman B. Brown, 


Corrinna H. Bishop, 


81.61 


1875 


George Dennis. 



LIST OF VESSELS. 



265 



Name of Vessel. 


Tons. 


When Built. 


Cottage, 


30.39 


1846 


Crest of the Wave, 


71.38 


1877 


C. Taylor, 3d, 


33.71 


1853 


Dacotah, 


60.44 


1858 


David A. Story, 


91.47 


1876 


David F. Low, 


60.77 


1872 


David J. Adams, 


•69.86 


1867 


David M. Hilton, 


66.50 


1868 


David Sherman, 


71.36 


1873 


Davy Crockett, 


84.97 


1876 


Defiance, (boat,) 


18.97 


1876 


Delia, (boat,) 


10.34 




Delia Maria, 


55.75 


1864 


Dictator, 


63.18 


1872 


Dido, 


81.88 


1882 


Dixie, (boat,) 


14.98 


1881 


Dragon, (boat,) 


9.49 




Eastern Light, 


70.29 


1866 


Eastern Queen, 


60.11 


1860 


Eben B. Phillips, 


66.91 


1866 


Eben Parsons, 


91.48 


1875 


Edward, (boat,) 


9.83 


1876 


Edward A. Horton, 


66.46 


1870 


Edward Everett, 


57.84 


1860 


Edward E. Webster, 


98.80 


1875 


Edward G rover, 


77.26 


1874 


E. K. Kane, 


52.29 


1857 


Electric Flash, 


82.19 


1859 


Elisha Crowell, 


67.78 


1869 


Eliza Abby, 


49.29 


1854 


Eliza K. Parker, 


57.05 


1857 


Ella F. Bartlett, 


56.86 


1860 


Ellen H. Powers, (boat,) 


18.03 


1860 


Ellen M., (boat,) 


6.43 




Ellen M. Adams, 


90.33 


1876 


E. L. Rowe, 


68.78 


1871 


Emma, (boat,) 


13.23 




Emma S. Osier, 


23.91 


1878 


Enola C, 


65.28 


1869 


Epes Tarr, 


70.06 


1873 


Equal, (boat,) 


10:89 




Ernest F. Norwood, 


74.50 


1871 


Esther Ward, 


62.23 


1868 


Etta E. Tanner, 


66.32 


1867 


Etta Gott, 


59.10 


1868 


Ethel, 


71.73 


1881 


Eureka, 


51.96 


1866 


Eva May, 


27.50 


1871 


Everett Pierce, 


67.94 


1881 


Everett Steele, 


70.54 


1863 



Owners' or Fitters' Names. 
James Parker. 
William B. Coombs. 
Eli O. Cleaves. 
Shute & Merchant. 
Benjamin Low. 
Benjamin Low. 
Jesse Lewis. 

Petlingell & Cunningham. 
James G. Tarr & Bro. 
James G. Tarr & Bro. 
Elisha C. Wheeler. 
William M. Lane. 
Chresten Nelson. 
John Pew & Son. 
George Steele. 
John Foster. 
Master. 

Maddocks & Co. 
John Pew & Son. 
Michael Walen & Son. 
Wm. Parsons, 2d, & Co. 
Master. 

Daniel Allen & Son. 
Cunningham & Thompson. 
Solomon Jacobs. 
Dennis & Ayer. 
Michael Walen & Son. 
T. A. Langsford & Son. 
Daniel Allen & Son. 
James Parker. 
Leonard Walen. 
John Pew & Son. 
Patrick Powers. 
Master. 

George Norwood & Son. 
Samuel Lane & Bro. 
Atlantic Halibut Co. 
David A. Osier. 
Andrew Leigh ton. 
James G. Tarr & Bro. 
Eben Brazier. 
George Norwood & Son. 
Oakes & Foster. 
Samuel Haskell. 
Sylvanus Smith & Co. 
Sylvanus Smith & Co. 
Benjamin Low. 
Howard A. Wonson. 
J. F. Wonson & Co. 
B. H. Spinney. 



266 



LIST OF VESSELS. 



Name of Vessel. 


Tons. 


When Built. 


E. W. Merchant, 


47.84 


. 1850 


Excelsior, 


38.30 


1847 


Falcon, 


71.67 


1873 


Fanny Fern, 


48.39 


1858 


Farragut, 


50.85 


1867 


F. A. Smith, 


77.10 


1869 


Finance, 


67.58 


1869 


Fitz J. Babson, 


69.25 


1871 


Flash, 


73.37 


1875 


Fleetwing, 


59.29 


1859 


Fleur de Lis, (boat,) 


15.40 


1879 


Flora Temple, 


52.59 


1858 


Flying Scud, 


65.88 


1870 


Frank A. Williams, 


66.49 


1869 


Frederic Gerring, Jr., 


70.88 


1870 


Fred P. Frye, 


85.37 


1870 


Fred L. Webb, 


54.92 


1867 


F. W. Homans, 


66.21 


1870 


Gardner W. Tarr, 


66.07 


1875 


Garnet, (sloop,) 


27.03 


1866 


Garibaldi, 


51.99 


1859 


Gatherer, 


95.70 


1876 


Gazel, 


37.62 


1846 


George A. Upton, 


56.29 


1875 


George Clark, Jr., 


65.25 


1866 


George H. Pierson, 


68.11 


1867 


George J. Tarr, 


59.85 


1869 


George 0. Hovey, 


63.85 


1864 


George P. Rust, 


65.05 


1867 


George P. Trigg, 


123.56 


1868 


George S. Boutwell, 


66.87 


1869 


George W. Stetson, 


74.32 


1869 


Georgianna, 


52.01 


1851 


Gertie E. Foster, 


88.28 


1874 


Gleaner, 


63.52 


1871 


Golden Hind, 


74.60 


1877 


Goldsmith Maid, 


51.24 


1872 


Good Templar, 


57.07 


1867 


G. P. Whitman, 


94.39 


1874 


Grace C. Hadle} T , 


67.03 


1873 


Grace L. Fears, 


88.94 


1874 


Gracie Smith, (boat,) 


12.63 


1880 


Gussie Blaisdell, 


89.05 


1876 


H. A. Duncan, 


87.70 


1876 


H. A. Johnson, 


60.65 


1867 


Hannah, (boat,) 


8.59 




Harvest Home, 


56.88 


1856 


Hattie B. West, 


56.36 


1866 


Hattie Chester, 


73.82 


1878 


Hattie L. Newman, 


98.34 


1875 



Owners' or Fitters' Names. 

George J. Tarr & Co. 
J.J. Burns & Co. 
Andrew Leighton. 
George Garland. 
John F. Wonson & Co. 
Joseph Friend. 
Shute & Merchant. 
James Mansfield & Sons. 
James G. Tarr & Bro. 
Wonson Bros. 
Master. 
Harry Hardy. 
Joseph O. Procter, Jr. 
William C. Wonson & Co. 
Edward Morris. 
John S. McQuin & Co. 
Michael Walen & Son. 
George Clark & Co. 
James G. Tarr & Bro. 
Francis Locke. 
George J. Tarr & Co. 
Rowe & Jordan. 
T. A. Langsford & Son. 
Andrew Leighton. 
George Clark & Co. 
Cunningham & Thompson. 
John F. Wonson & Co. 
Benjamin Low. 
George Clark. 
Benjamin Haskell & Sons. 
McKenzie, Hardy & Co. 
Joseph O. Procter, Jr. 
Stockbridge & Co. 
George Clark & Co. 
William C. Wonson & Co. 
Rowe & Jordan. 
Rowe & Jordan. 
Samuel Lane & Bro. 
Andrew Leighton. 
Pettingell & Cunningham. 
Atlantic Halibut Co. 
Sylvanus Smith & Co. 
Sylvanus Smith & Co. 
George Steele. 
Wm. Parsons, 2d, & Co. 
James McGrath. 
John Knowles. 
Shute & Merchant. 
George Steele. 
Michael Walen & Son. 





LIST OF 


VESSELS. 26 


Name of Vessel. 


Tons. When Built. 


Owners' or Fitters' Names. 


Hattie N. Gove, (3 ni'st, 


) 347.62 


1873 


Shute & Merchant. 


Hattie N. Reed, 


48.04 


1867 


Michael Walen & Son. 


Hattie S. Clark, 


70.63 


1866 


Joseph O. Procter, Jr. 


Haze, (boat,) 


8.04 




William Remby. 


Hector, 


31.78 


1854 


Thomas Douglass. 


H. B. Griffin, 


123.93 


1875 


Daniel Allen & Son. 


Helen M. Crosby, 


66.62 


1865 


Rowe & Jordan. 


Helen M. Dennis, 


68.10 


1868 


George Dennis. 


Helen R. Low, 


59.25 


1881 


Benjamin Low. 


Henrietta, (sloop,) 


44.45 


1869 


Master. 


Henry Ellsworth, 


59.33 


1865 


Sa} T ward Bros. 


Henry Friend, 


67.39 


1875 


Joseph Friend. 


Henry L. Phillips, 


80.04 


1868 


George Dennis. 


Henry Stanberry, 


59.42 


1868 


William C. Wonson & Co. 


Heniy Wilson, 


93.31 


1876 


Pettingell & Cunningham. 


Herald of the Morning, 


71.63 


1874 


John Pew & Son. 


Herbert M. Rogers, 


77.65 


1875 


Rowe & Jordan. 


Here ward, 


90.11 


1874 


James Mansfield & Sons. 


Herman Babson, 


100.52 


1876 


D. C. & H. Babson. 


Hildegarde, 


71.39 


1876 


Rowe & Jordan. 


Hope, (boat,) 


8.85 


1878 


Henry Dennis. 


Hope, (boat,) 


5.90 




Master. 


Horace Albert, 


68.70 


1880 


Sylvanus Smith & Co. 


Howard, 


74.80 


1874 


Sylvanus Smith & Co. 


Howard Holbrook, 


97.47 


1877 


Oakes & Foster. 


Hyperion, 


68.59 


1875 


Cunningham & Thompson. 


Ida A. Mayhue, (boat,) 


12.05 


1867 


John Shean. 


Ida Chase, (boat,) 


6.04 




Master. 


Ida May, 


45.17 


1855 


James Mansfield & Sons. 


Ida May, (boat,) 


7.79 




Master. 


Ida May, (boat,) 


8.96 




Albert O. Wonson. 


Isaac A. Chapman, 


85.06 


1879 


D. C. & H. Babson. 


Isaac Patch, 


72.80 


1867 


Atlantic Halibut Co. 


Island Belle, (boat,) 


5.51 




Master. 


Island Home, 


43.32 


1860 


Albert R. Duley. 


Ivanhoe, 


75.85 


1879 


Cunningham & Thompson. 


James Bliss, 


62.63 


1868 


Wm. Parsons, 2d, & Co. 


James A. Garfield, 


73.58 


1881 


Rowe & Jordan. 


Jamestown, 


69. 


1876 


George Steele. 


Jennie B. Thomas, 


50.95 


1867 


Joseph Friend. 


J. H. G. Perkins, 


59.23 


1867 


Burnham & Winter. 


J. J. Clark, 


69.68 


1870 


Rowe & Jordan. 


Joe Hooker, 


62. 


1864 


Shute & Merchant. 


John D. Griffen, 


104.02 


1863 


Master. 


John D. Long, 


66.35 


1880 


Andrew Leighton. 


John F. Wonson, 


58.03 


1868 


John F. Wonson & Co. 


John S. McQuin, 


81.76 


1877 


John S. McQuin & Co. 


John Smith, 


65.51 


1868 


Oakes & Foster. 


John S. Presson, 


92.82 


1874 


George Clark & Co. 


John W. Bray, 


83.41 


1875 


John F. Wonson & Co. 



268 



LIST OF VESSELS. 



Name of Vessel. 


Tons. 


When Built. 


Joseph Garland, 


51.44 


1866 


Joseph 0., 


65.12 


1867 


Joseph Story, 


55.32 


1860 


Josie M. Calderwood, 


90.69 


1875 


J. S. Lamprey, (3 m'sts,) 


306.10 


1872 


J. W. Campbell, 


83.21 


1881 


Knight Templar, 


73.26 


1870 


K nuts ford, 


83.64 


1882 


Landseer, 


98.99 


1875 


Laughing Water, 


49.01 


1858 


Laughing Waters, 


31. 


1866 


Laura Nelson, 


89.35 


1874 


Laura Saj'ward, 


68.05 


1866 


Legal Tender, 


51.03 


1868 


Leone, 


100.56 


1871 


Levanter, 


50.08 


1869 


Light Wing, 


33.84 




Little Antie, (boat,) 


5.42 


1877 


Little Giant, (steamer,) 


26.14 


1878 


Lizzie, 


72.47 


1875 


Lizzie J. Jones, 


63.95 


1875 


Lizzie Myrtle, (boat,) 


5.27 


1875 


Lizzie W. Hannum, 


75.12 


1868 


Lottie K. Friend (3 m'st) , 


367.09 


1873 


Lottie S. Morton, 


67.61 


1882 


Lucy, (boat,) 


11.56 




Lucy Ann, 


46.54 


1849 


M. A. Baston, 


47.46 


1878 


Mabel Dillaway, 


81.88 


1882 


Madame Roland, 


62.39 


1860 


Madawaska Maid, 


63.06 


1868 


Magellan Cloud, (boat,) 


19.97 




Magic, 


67.83 


1871 


Marathon, 


68.43 


1874 


Margaret, 


46.55 


1866 


Margie Smith, 


61.13 


1875 


Marion, 


82.25 


1877 


Marion Grimes, 


61.36 


1868 


Martha and Susan, 


70.73 


1878 


Martha C, 


79.16 


1875 


Martha Jane, (boat,) 


16.89 




Mary'A. Brown, (boat,) 


15.65 




Mary E., 


67.22 


1871 


Mary F. Chisholm, 


73.93 


1875 


Mary E. Daniels, 


67.68 


1868 


Mary Elizabeth, 


22.51 


1852 


Mary Fernald, 


80.27 


1875 


Mary Story, 


64.09 


1875 


Massasoit, 


73.63 


1868 


Massena, 


59.54 


1860 



Owners' or Fitters' Names. 
Master. 

Joseph O. Procter, Jr. 
Charles Dagle. 
Dennis & A3'er. 
Master. 
Benjamin Low. 
George Steele. 
John Pew & Son. 
Michael Walen & Son. 
Master. 
Master. 

Atlantic Halibut Co. 
Say ward Bros. 
Shute & Merchant. 
W. G. Pool. 

George Norwood & Son. 
B. H. Spinney. 
Master. 
Douglass Bros. 
Daniel Allen & Son. 
Wm. Parsons, 2d, & Co. 
Master. 
John Collins. 
Master. 

J. F. Wonson & Co. 
Master. 

Samuel Haskell. 
Master. 

Michael Walen & Son. 
Burnham & Winter. 
John S. McQuin & Co. 
Alex. McCloud. 
John F. Wonson & Co. 
George Steele. 
Benjamin H. Spinney. 
Sylvanus Smith & Co. 
S3'lvanus Smith & Co. 
D. C. & H. Babson. 
Dennis & Ayer. 
Leonard Walen. 
Simeon McCloud. 
John Guthrie. 
Shute & Merchant. 
Benjamin Low. 
Leonard Walen. 
George Norwood & Son. 
Dennis & Ayer. 
Say ward Bros. 
McKenzie, Hardy & Co. 
Wm. Parsons, 2d, & Co 



LIST OF VESSELS. 



269 



Name of Vessel. 


Tons. 


When Built. 


Matthew Kean} 7 , 


69.80 


1882 


Maud F. Leighton, 


72.55 


1882 


Maud Gertrude, (boat,) 


15.01 




Metacom, (boat,) 


11.31 




M. H. Perkins, 


76.14 


1876 


Midnight, 


69.48 


1865 


Minnehaha, (boat.) 


10.18 




Minnie Dell, (boat,) 


8.27 




Mist, 


72.39 


1875 


M. L. Wetherell, 


69.42 


1865 


Monmouth, 


71.68 


1876 


Moro Castle, 


88.85 


1874 


Morrill Boy, (boat,) 


17.08 


1878 


Mountain King, 


54.58 




Mystic, 


83.09 


1879 


M. G. 0. B., (boat,) 


6.38 




Napoleon, (boat,) 


7.01 




Nelson Wells, 


63.20 


1853 


Nevada, 


62.06 


1868 


New England, 


86.29 


1877 


Newsboy, (boat,) 


12.67 


1877 


Noonday, 


75.25 


1873 


Northern Eagle, 


36.97 


1857 


Northern Star, 


56.16 


1860 


Notice, 


66.50 


1868 


Nellie Burkett, (boat,) 


6.97 




Nelson Y. McFarland, 


69.15 


1881 


Nellie N. Rowe, 


83.22 


1882 


Ocean King, 


79.79 


1877 


Ocean Ranger, 


57.20 


1858 


Oceanus, 


47.44 


1870 


Oliver Eldridge, 


65.86 


1870 


Ontario, 


91.29 


1873 


Onward, 


45.47 


1852 


Optimates, (boat,) 


6.65 


1866 


Orient, 


93.76 


1875 


Ossipee, 


72.58 


1872 


Otis P. Lord, 


75.63 


1876 


Pathfinder, 


67.26 


1871 


Percy, 


72.27 


1878 


Peter D. Smith, 


69.49 


1868 


Phantom, (yacht,) 


72.56 


1865 


Phantom, 


30.05 


1875 


Phaselus, (boat,) 


14.30 




Phoenix, 


60.33 


1869 


Pioneer, 


66.19 


1872 


Piscataqua, 


64.51 


1866 


Planet, 


32.24 


1845 


Pluribustah, 


20.39 


1865 


Polar Wave, 


90.93 


1875 



Owners' or Fitters' Names. 
Maddocks & Co. 
Andrew Leighton. 
Daniel Gill. 
Master. 

George Dennis. 
Maddocks & Co. 
Master. 
Master. 

James G. Tare & Bro. 
Shute & Merchant. 
George Steele. 
McKenzie, Hardy & Co. 
B. D. Haskins. 
Benjamin G erring. 
John McKinnon. 
Master. 
Master. 

Michael Walen & Son. 
Michael Walen & Son. 
John Pew & Son. 
Master. 

Maddocks & Co. 
George H. Martin. 
Joseph O. Procter, Jr. 
Master. 
Master. 

Samuel Lane & Bro. 
Rowe & Jordan. 
Maddocks & Co. 
Wm. Parsons, 2d, & Co. 
William Gibbs. 
George Steele. 
John Pew & Son. 
James G. Tarr & Bro. 
George Wonson. 
Charles Lee. 

Cunningham & Thompson. 
Dennis & Ayer. 
Wm. Parsons, 2d, & Co. 
Dennis & Ayer. 
Oakes & Foster. 
Henry S. Hovey. 
David L} T le. 
Master. 

George Clark & Co. 
James G. Tarr & Bro. 
John F. Wonson & Co. 
Master. 
Master. 
Andrew Leighton. 



270 



LIST OF VESSELS. 



Name of Vessel. 


Tons. 


When Built. 


Owners' or Fitters' Names. 


Procter Brothers, 


77.05 


1876 


Daniel Allen & Son. 


Plymouth Rock, 


96.94 


1876 


George Steele. 


Racer, 


53.95 


1852 


Walter M. Fait. 


Ralph E. Eaton, 


68.96 


1877 


James G. Tarr & Bro. 


Rambler, 


66.91 


1865 


D. C. & H. Babson. 


Rattler, 


82.72 


1859 


Andrew Leighton. 


R. D. Litchfield, Jr., (st.,; 


I 5.45 


1871 


Master. 


Rebecca Bartlett, 


67.01 


1869 


Oakes & Foster. 


Reporter, 


83.61 


1874 


John F. Wonson & Co. 


Restless, 


66.47 


1870 


George Clark & Co. 


Rising Star, 


29.48 


1871 


Jesse McCloud. 


Richard Lester, 


72.72 


1881 


James G. Tarr & Bro. 


Rough & Ready, 


39.21 


1847 


John Carter. 


Royal Oak, 


84.58 


1846 


D. C. & H. Babson. 


Rushlight, 


66.98 


1863 


John F. Wonson & Co. 


Rutherford B. Ha3'es, 


71.84 


1877 


Dennis & Aj'er. 


Ruth Groves, 


68.82 


1867 


James Mansfield & Sons. 


S. A. Parkhurst, 


53.35 


1861 


Eli Jackman & Co. 


Sarah C. Pyle, 


52.62 


1869 


Joseph Friend. 


Sarah C. Wharff, 


51.43 


1871 


George Clark & Co. 


Sarah E. Wetherell, (st.,) 


22.48 


1872 


Dennis & Ayer. 


Sarah M. Jacobs, 


80.04 


1878 


Samuel Lane & Bro. 


Sarah P. A}-er, 


71.38 


1869 


Dennis & A} r er. 


Schuyler Colfax, 


62.82 


1868 


Joseph O. Procter, Jr. 


Sea Foam, 


57.88 


1853 


Walter M. Fait. 


Sea Witch, (boat,) 


7.77 




Master. 


Seth Stockbridge, 


89.94 


1875 


George Norwood & Son. 


Shiloh, 


85.98 


1874 


John Pew & Son. 


Shooting Star, (boat,) 


14.96 




Master. 


Sigfrid, 


76.54 


1882 


Cunningham & Thompson. 


Smuggler, 


67.92 


1877 


Andrew Leighton. 


Solomon Poole, 


86.20 


1876 


Cunningham & Thompson 


Sophronia, 


57.03 


1860 


Benjamin Low. 


S. P. Greenleaf, (boat,) 


11.07 




Master. 


S. R. Lane, 


72. 


1873 


Samuel Lane & Bro. 


Star of the East, 


56.13 


1867 


Master. 


Starry Flag, 


59.50 


1871 


Wm. Parsons, 2d, & Co. 


Sterling, 


63.62 


1868 


John Pew & Son. 


St. Michael, 


28.24 


1865 


Michael Curon. 


St. Patrick, (boat,) 


17.79 


1859 


Peter Conley. 


Sultana, 


69.84 


1869 


Andrew Leighton. 


Sunshine, 


66.29 


1866 


John Pew & Son. 


Samuel B. Jones, (st.,) 


33.54 


1872 


Master. 


Senator, (pinkey,) 


32.67 


1831 


John Parker. 


Susie Hooper, 


76.91 


1882 


Daniel Allen & Son. 


Thomas W. Knight, 


66.26 


1881 


Andrew Leighton. 


Teddie, (boat,) 


10.57 


1878 


Master. 


Telephone, 


20.25 


1878 


Joseph Lyle. 


Tidal Wave, 


70.28 


1871 


John Pew & Son. 


T. L. Mayo, 


62.46 


1866 


James G. Tarr & Bro. 



LIST OF VESSELS. 



271 



Name of Vessel. 


Tons. 


When Built. 


Owners' or Fitters' Names. 


Tragabigzanda, 


68.03 


1870 


Wonson Bros. 


Triton, 


71.51 


1875 


Sayward Bros. 


Tubal Cain, 


63.39 


1871 


Wm. C. Wonson & Co. 


U. S. Grant, (boat,) 


7.19 




Nekemiak Adams. 


Undine, 


10.34 




Henry Smith. 


Veteran, 


63.64 


1865 


Benjamin Montgomery. 


Vidette, 


58.07 


1867 


McKenzie, Hardy & Co. 


Viking, 


73.63 


1875 


James Mansfield & Sons. 


Vision, 


50.37 




Master. 


Volunteer, 


69.58 


1863 


Josepk Smitk. 


Wachusett, 


79.14 


1874 


Cunningham & Thompson 


Waldo Irving, 


64.35 


1880 


John F. Wonson & Co. 


Wanderer, (sloop,) 


13.66 


1881 


Master. 


Webster Sanborn, 


99.89 


1876 


Maddocks & Co. 


Welcome, 


61.26 


1877 


Jokn Pew & Son. 


W. E. Terry, 


63. 


1869 


J. O. Procter, Jr. 


Wildfire, 


108.90 


1866 


Andrew Leigkton. 


Wild Pigeon, 


46.87 


1852 


Daniel Allen & Son. 


William A. Pew, 


70.19 


1866 


James Mansfield & Sons. 


William H. Raymond, 


70. 


1867 


Dennis & Ayer. 


William H. Oakes, 


70.89 


1878 


Atlantic Halibut Co. 


William M. Gaffney, 


74.65 


1877 


Josepk Smitk. 


William S. Baker, 


103.95 


1860 


Josepk Friend. 


William V. Hutchings, 


62.68 


1866 


George Friend & Son. 


Willie M. Stevens, 


80.56 


1877 


George Dennis. 


William E. McDonald, 


98.37 


1875 


Wm. Parsons, 2d, & Co. 


William H. Foye, 


70.45 


1871 


Sylvanus Smitk & Co. 


William Parsons, 2d, 


64.41 


1870 


Wm. Parsons, 2d, & Co. 


Willie, 


91.58 


1880 


Master. 


Winged Arrow, 


58.85 


1866 


Sjdvanus Smitk & Co. 


Witchcraft, 


57.73 


1859 


William B. Coombs. 


Z. S. Wallingford, (boat,) 9.86 




John Cadwallader. 


Zenobia, 


78.73 


1881 


George Steele. 



ROCKPORT. 



Name of Vessel. 
Active, (sloop,) 
Alfred A., (sloop,) 
America, (sloop,) 
Anna M., (boat,) 
Ann Parker, 

Belle of Cape Ann, (sloop,) 
C. E. Trumbull, 
Charlie Boy, (boat,) 
Charlie Stedman, 
Cock of the Walk, (sloop,) 
Cora Lee, 
Corinna M., 



Tons. 


When Built. 


73.62 


1869 


76.47 


1874 


91.46 


1869 


11.49 




54.02 


1850 


78.22 


1860 


99.80 


1870 


8.51 


1880 


84.78 


1872 


55.08 


1853 


47.30 


1867 


39.61 


1857 



Owners' or Fitters' Names. 

Lanesville Granite Co. 
Rockport Granite Co. 
Jeremiak Pettingell. 
Heniy L. Story. 
Pigeon Hill Granite Co. 
Rockport Granite Co. 
C. E. Trumbull. 
Howard H. Paul. 
Lanesville Granite Co. 
Rockport Granite Co. 
John Story, Jr. 
Master. 



272 



LIST OF VESSELS. 



Name of Vessel. 


Tons. 


When Built. 


Owners' or Fitters' Names 


Daniel Webster, (sloop,) 


4G.11 


1853 


Pigeon Hill Granite Co 


Edith Bean, 


17.22 




Francis Tarr, Jr. 


Edith L. Conley, 


58.90 


1876 


Master. 


Fanny R., 


55.37 


1859 


Master. 


Franklin S. Schenck, 


46.03 


1869 


Bradley & Co. 


Glide, (boat,) 


7.81 




Henry W. Colburn. 


Golden Rule, 


41.67 


1862 


Zenas Brown. 


Hard Chance, (sloop,) 


64.60 


1855 


Lanesville Granite Co. 


Ida May, (sloop,) 


63.05 


1855 


Rockport Granite Co. 


Isabella, 


50.61 


1851 


C. C. Pool. 


Jenny Lind, (boat,) 


15.96 




Master. 


John P. Ober, 


55.72 


1873 




Josephine, 


38.68 


1868 


John Story, Jr. 


Joseph M. Lane, 


53.73 


1852 


Eben Blatchford. 


J. Y. Baker, 


55.69 


1849 


Master. 


Lacty Lincoln, 


26.42 


1861 


Joshua Tarr. 


Lizzie D. Saunders, 


43.54 


1867 


John Stoiy, Jr. 


L. Snow, Jr., 


41.90 


1851 


Master. 


Lodowick Bill, 


59.93 


1866 


A. C. Pierce. 


Mary Ellen, 


54.11 


1855 


John Stoiy, Jr. 


Minnie, (boat,) 


6.60 




Master. 


Nellie Florence, (boat,) 


7.13 




Master. 


Nellie T. Gaskell, (boat,) 


15.12 




Joshua Tarr. 


New Era, (sloop,) 


62.54 


1853 


Rockport Granite Co. 


Parnet, 


21.19 


1838 


Master. 


Pinafore, (boat,) 


10.65 




Loring Grimes. 


Queen of the Sea, (boat,) 


11.73 




A. B. Seaborn. 


Quickstep, 


29.08 


1856 


Master. 


School Girl, (boat,) 


9.08 




Master. 


Screamer, (sloop,) 


63.93 


1873 


Pigeon Hill Granite Co, 


Shooting Star, (boat,) 


10.70 




Master. 


Sina Shore, 


12.64 




Master. 


Theresa, (3 mast,) 


226.68 


1874 


George J. Tarr & Co. 


Waverly, 


52.09 


1853 


J. Story, Jr. 



MANCHESTER 



Name of Vessel. Tons. When Built. 

Mary A. Downes, (boat,) 12.24 1878 
Ranter, (boat,) 5.07 



Owners' or Fitters' Names. 
George A. Jones. 
Gorham Morse. 



A NNIS Q UA M. 



Name of Vessel. 


Tons. 


When Built. 


Owners' or Fitters' Names. 


America, (3'acht,)' 


89.59 


1849 


Jonas H. French. 


Belle Gilmore, 


46.08 


1853 


Master. 


Bonita, (boat,) 


18.67 




Master. 


Eva May, 


27.50 


1871 


Master. 


I Am Here, (boat,) 


11.06 




Master. 



LIST OF VESSELS. 



273 



Name of Vessel. 


Tons. 


When Built. 


Owners' or Fitters' X 


Island Home, (boat,) 


12.02 




Master. 


John Met tier, 


62.83 


1848 


Master. 


May S. Round}-, (boat,) 


11.16 




Geo. W. Langsford 


Sardina, (boat,) 


9.11 




Bartlett Morgan. 


Venus, (boat,) 


12.44 


1878 


Master. 


Vesper, (boat,) 


17.10 




Master. 


Wide Awake, 


63.41 


1859 


Master. 



The aggregate number of vessels and tonnage enrolled in this district 
when this list was made up, April 15, 1882, comprised 483 vessels, with a 
tonnage of 27,809.75. Of this number, 423 belong to Gloucester Harbor, 
of a tonnage of 25,254.90: 353 schooners, 4 sloops, 1 yacht, 6 steamers, 
59 boats. Rockport has 2,156.57 tonnage, 46 vessels: 25 schooners, 10 
sloops, 11 boats. Annisquam, 380.97 tonnage, 12 vessels: 4 schooners, 1 
yacht, 7 boats. Manchester, 17.31 tonnage, comprising 2 boats. 

FISHING FIRMS AND FITTING-OUT ESTABLISHMENTS. 

The number of fishing firms and fitting-out establishments in Gloucester 
Harbor at this date, April 15, 1882, is 46, which fit out 302 schooners and 
boats. The balance of the fleet is composed of vessels whose masters are 
owners, and they fit where they please. Messrs. John Pew & Son are the 
largest fitters, having 19 vessels; James G. Tarr & Bro. come next, with 
16, and J. F. Wonson & Co. are third on the list, with 15 ; Andrew Leigh- 
ton fits 14 ; Rowe & Jordan, 13 ; two, 12 each, two, 11 ; two 10, four, 9 ; 
one, 8; three, 7; five, 6; five, 5; two, 4; four, 3; eight, 2; three, 1. 
The following is the list of the Gloucester Harbor fishing firms and fitting- 
out establishments, with their number of vessels : 



Atlantic Halibut Co., 7 

Burnham & Winter, 2 

Daniel Allen & Son, 7 

D. C. & H. Babson, 11 

J. J. Burns & Co., 1 

Cunningham & Thompson, 10 

George Clark & Co., 9 

William B. Coombs, 2 

Dennis & Ayer, 12 

George Dennis, 6 

Joseph Friend, 5 

Walter M. Fait, 2 

George Garland, 2 

Samuel Haskell, 6 



B. Haskell & Sons, 1 

Eli Jackman & Co., 2 

Samuel Lane & Bro., 5 

Andrew Leighton, 14 

T. A. Langsford & Son, 2 

Benjamin Low, 9 

Benjamin Montgomery, 4 

James Mansfield & Sons, 6 

John S. McQuin & Co., 3 

McKenzie, Hardy & Co., 5 

Maddocks & Co., 6 

George Norwood & Son, 7 

Oakes & Foster, 6 

John Pew & Son, 19 



274 



LIST OF VESSELS. 



J. O. Procter, Jr., 9 

William Parsons, 2d, & Co., 10 

Pettingell & Cunningham, 4 

Rowe & Jordan, 13 

Sylvanus Smith & Co., 12 

George Steele, 11 

Say ward Bros., 5 

Shute & Merchant, 9 

B. H. Spinney, 2 



Joseph Smith, 

Seth Stockbridge & Co., 

James G. Tarr & Bro., 

George J. Tarr, 

J. F. Wonson & Co., 

Leonard Walen, 

Wonson Bros., 

William C. Wonson & Co. 

Michael Walen & Son, 



2 

16 
3 

15 
3 
3 
5 




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REFERENCES :— Most any fitter in Gloucester or New England. 

P. 0. Box, No. 130, GLOUCESTER, Mass. £3^ Send for Price List. 




Highest prices paid for 

Mackerel and all kinds of Dry or 

Green Fish from vessels. 

COMMERCIAL ST., near the Fort. 



CLOTHING STORE! 

The largest and best selected stock of 

FINE HATS and GENTS' FURNISHINGS 

IUST THIE CITT. 
A GOOD ASSORTMENT OF 



Cu$ton| kqd f^ekdy-JVTkde Clot^i^g 



ALWATS ON HAND. 



H©w©et ®tyle®, FopiailM Wwrnmrn* 

No. 168 Main St., - - Gloucester. 

illisuxdL X^a-xlonrs^ 

Grrier's Block, 

86 MAIN ST., Gloucester. 




Open day and evening. Everything 
first-class and orderly. All are welcome. 

MASON'S DRY GOODS STORE 

n^To. 311 JMLzlItl Street, 

Is the place for BARGAINS. 

Full stock of Goods in the various departments, and the lowest prices of 
any store in the city. Call and prove this assertion. 

fl. A. MASON, Proprietor. 



SAMUEL LANE & BROTHER, 



• 




Producers and Wholesale Dealers in 



Wharf at Vincent's Point, 

GLOUCESTEB, Mass. 



O-EOIESa-IE TODD, 

COAL AND WOOD. 



Locust Mi, Suffolk, Lorberry and Lincoln of Lykens Valley Coals, 

—gSOLE AGENTS FOR;*— 

Breed's Chemical Compound. 

jotd tijvd js@ft w00d pi^epti^edt" 

393 Main Street, Gloucester, Mass. 



327 Main St., Gloucester. 

Drugs and Chemicals 

Toilet and Fancy Articles, 

Patent Medicines, &c. 

Prescriptions Carefully Compounded. 

New and Second-Hand Medicine Chests fur- 
nished and replenished at short notice. 

\m\tn prii 

Gloucester, Mass. 

Sails made to order and satisfaction guaranteed. 



M. B. JACKMAN & CO., 

MANUFACTURERS OF 




Best Quality, All Sizes. 

A specialty of Tarred Lines of the various 
sizes required for sea fishing. 

LINE-WALK AND FACTORY AT 

Newburyport, Mass. 

Moses B. Jackman, Leonard a. Burniiam. 
Newburyport. Gloucester. 

Chas. H. Boynton, 

IDE-^IjIEES I3ST 

Wood and Coal 

Gloucester, Mass. 

Office Rear Cape Ann Savings Bank. 



N. BOYNTON & CO., 

87 & 89 Commercial Street, BOSTON, 



MANUFACTURERS OF 



Ciffil * 1IC11 

BUSSELL IMIIXjXjS, 
TDTZTJ-T1D MILLS, 

XJnSriTEID STATES, Yacht. 8 oz. 10 oz. 1 2 oz. 



SOLE AGENTS FOR THE 

. B. WUWTIWG COMPANY, 

AND IMPORTERS OF 

HOTH'S RUSSIA BOLTROPE. 



WM. COOS, JR., 

Tarred and Repaired. 
OVER CALL'S SPAR SHOP, 

VINCENT SPRING, 
Rear John Pew if Sons, Gloucester, Mass. 

flS^NETS, SEINES, TWINE and FISHING 
NETTINGS, of every description, furnished to 
order. All work guaranteed. 

Joseph Simpson, 



MANUFACTURER OF 



lass and Vet 



OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS. 

4®=- TARRING and REPAIRING done in the 
best manner. 

PARKHURST'S WHARF, Foot of Duncan St., 
P. O. Box 702. GLOUCESTER, MASS. 



BOSTON & GLOUCESTEE 
For Freight and Passengers, 

Making Connections with all Railroad and 

Steamship Lines out of Boston. 

Through Rates and Bills of Lading given. 

Leaves Boston Daily (Sundays excepted) at 
2 P. M. and 10.15 A. M. Leaves Gloucester 
Daily at 3 and 7 A. M. 

ABBOTT COPPI2T, Agent, 

Gloucester, Mass. 

B. S. MEECITjS-ITT, Ag-ern-t, 

Central Wharf, Boston, Mass. 



EISHERMEN! 



YOU CAN FIND 

The Genuine Annisquam Boot, 

And all other styles for sea or shore wear. Pri- 
ces always the LOWEST. 

,03=- REPAIRING done at short notice. Call 
and see your old shipmate, 

JAMES A. DAVID, 

-£S 2v£a.in. St., Foot of Sla.oxt. 




M. F. WHITON & CO., 



AG-EUTS FOE 



HINGHAM CORDAGE COMP'Y 



LAWRENCE MILLS COTTON DUCK. 



IDIE^LIEES X2ST 



Wire Rope, Chains, Anchors, Bolt Rope, Oakum, Bunting, &c. 

Cables a Specialty. 



DA.VTD -WHITOrtT. 
2*/Z- '&'. 'WHITOIT. 



The Fishermen's Memorial & Record Book, 

A Companion Volume to "THE FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK," 

Gives you interesting facts relative to the fisheries. How fish are caught, and where they are 
caught, olden time and modern time fishing, Off Hand Sketches, Big Trips, Statistics of 
the Fisheries, Tales of Narrow Escapes, Fearful Gales, Maritime Poetry, and other 
'matters of interest concerning this important industry. Very handsomely illustrated with original 
engravings. Price $1.00 in Paper Covers; $1.50 finely bound in Cloth. Sent anywhere on receipt 
of price. Agents wanted to whom exclusive territory will be given. Liberal commissions. Write 
for particulars. 

PROCTER BROS., Publishers, Advertiser Office, Gloucester, Mass. 



Wm. R. Call, 
House and Sign Painter 

Graining, Paper Hanging, Kalsomining, 
Whitewashing, &c. 



ALSO DEALER IN 



Eoom Paper, Borders and Cur- 
tain Goods, 

42 Washington Street, Corner of Granite, 



GEIFFIN,C00K&C0., 

PAINTING, GRAINING, 

Coloring, Glazing, Paper Hanging. 

House and Vessel work prompt- 
ly attended to. 

Sashes and Blinds constantly on hand. 
Sign Painting and Decorating a Specialty. 

Thaddeus Griffin, H. A. Cook, E. L. Cook. 



H. L. FEARING & CO., 

AGENTS OF 

Ittti 






OF LIVERPOOL, England. 

Proprietors of STANDARD CHAIN CABLE WORKS, 

91 & 93 Commercial Street, and 33 Mercantile Street, BOSTON. 



CEO. E. HALL, 

SIGN AND ORNAMENTAL 

Signs and Show Cards of all descriptions , 
Gilding, Wayside Advertising, Orna- 
menting, and Furniture Painting 
done with neatness, cheapness 
and dispatch. 

Oor. Chestnut & Main Sts., over Perry's 
Picture Store, 

O-loiJLcester, - Mass. 

ALL ORDERS RECEIVE PROMPT ATTENTION AT 
SHOP, ENTRANCE ON CHESTNUT ST. 

John S. Carter, 

DEALER in 

Beef. Pork, Mutton, 

HAM, POULTRY. 

Vegetables, Butter, Cheese, Lard, Canned 
Goods, &c, 

A few doors east of Atlantic House, 

31 MAIN ST., GLOUCESTER. 



Joseph C. Shepherd 



DEALER IN — 



BEEF, PORK, MUTTON, 

Ham, Poultry, Vegetables, &c. 

BUTTER, CHEESE, LARD, EGGS, &c. 
Nos. 2 and 4 Main Street, 

GLOUCESTER, MASS. 



IAS. CUNNINGHAM, 

HOUSE, SHIP & SIGN PAIIVTER, 

. BEALEE X3ST 

PAINTS, OILS, PURE COPPER PAINT 
GLASS AND PUTTY. 

Special attention paid to GRAINING in all 
colors. 

Orders for Paper Hanging, Whitewashing. 
Kalsomining and Glazing promptly attended to. 

SHOP AT CITY LANDING, COMMERCIAL ST., 

QEQUGESTEMt = = MASS* 



ACHIM JOHNSON, 



• SUCCESSOR TO - 



jil itniii 4 iti, 







Cor. Myrtle and Bedford Aves,, Brooklyn, N. T. 




. :m: _A.:xNr-c7T_&-CT-crs,Eis or - 



Best Cast Steel Wire, General Hardware, 



Different Kinds of Patent, and all other descriptions of Fish Hooks, 
Sail Needles, Pack and Bag Needles, Mattress Needles, 
Upholsterers' Needles, Surgeons' Needles, Spaying 
Needles, Scarf Needles, Dissecting Needles, Dis- 
secting Hooks, Plain and Siviveled Sail 
Hooks, Sailors' <& Sail-Makers' Palms. 

Straight Rod or Tortional Door Springs, Automatic Gate Hardware, Bur- 
glar Proof Blind and Shutter Fastenings, The Universal Clothes 
Line Holder, and all descriptions of Steel Wire 
Goods, Machinery, Springs, etc., etc. 

N . (B. — (Particular Attention paid to Tempering and 
Finishing all kinds of Steel Wire Goods. 



GREAT AMERICAN AUTOMATIC 

GATE HARDWARE, 



^>ateaa.te<a., Sept. ZVtix, 1870. 




pa 
o 

St hQ 

S & 

5 CD 



CQ 



^wfijy^j 



CD 
CQ 
CD 

Hj 

^ i : 

►-■- p 

O ,«> 

CD 

CD 
CD 

13 



CD 
CQ 



THIS AUTOMATIC GATE HARDWARE, 



While marvelously ingenious in construction, is hardly possible to get out 
of repair. If the gate sags by frost or otherwise, the owner can adjust or 
correct it by screwing the upper Hinge into the Post. It admits the Gate 
to swing either or both ways — is sure to close the Gate — and the Latch 
sure to fasten itself. Is made for both Iron and Wood Gates. 

To GATE MAKERS and GATE USERS, look at the ar- 
ticle and judge for yourselves. 

Their application to use is so simple, that a compara- 
tive Child may apply them. 

The entire Hardware for the use of the Gate, embracing this Patent 
AVTOMATIC GATE LATCH AND HINGES, are packed 
all together, in a strong paper box, with a circular attached thereto, ex- 
plaining the whole matter of their application and use — then six of the 
above boxes are placed in a large box which is properly labeled and marked, 
and so sold to the Market, in boxes of half dozen full sets of Gate Hard- 
ware, with screws complete. 

SOLD AT ALL HARDWARE STORES. 



m 



mm 



We are prepared to furnish Cornet Players with instruments of the best foreign ami 
American manufacture, which have been pronounced by first-class artists to be the best 
and most perfect instruments manufactured. 

This is a branch of the world-renowned house of OLIVER DITSON & CO., where 
special bargains in MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF ALL KINDS and makes, are constant- 
ly being offered. All our instruments are MADE ESPECIALLY FOR OUR TRADE, by 
s'killed workmen, have been thoroughly tested, AND ARE WARRANTED as first-class in 
every respect. We always keep in stock a complete assortment of BAND AND ORCHES- 
TRAL INSTRUMENTS, Guitars, Music Boxes, Violins, Banjos, Sheet Music and Music 
Books, and general Musical Merchandise. Send for Illustrated Catalogue to 

TOSI^T o. :E3l^"3T:£T:BS dz CO., 

33 Court Street, (directly opposite Court House,) BOSTON, Mass. 




L&RVBTSr A TM 



lv£a,22.-u.fa.ct\xrers c£ 



'fsl 



Patent Inside Iron Strapped Blocks, Oars, &c, 

Dealers in WOODEN AND IRON SHIP CHANDLERY. 

Steam Factory, Duncan Street, Between Custom House 
and Marine Railways. 

Carving and Gilding, and Eepairing Blocks of all kinds 

iF^ca^c^arij-z" iiTTEirnEiD to. 



G. H. BLATCHFORD 

216 Main St., corner Chestnut, 

GLOUCESTER, MASS. 

Drugs, Chemicals, Fancy Articles, 
Perfumery, &c. 
Fine Wines and Liquors for Medi- 
=§[ cinal purposes. 

PRESCRIPTIONS accurately com- 
pounded. 




ADDISON WITHAM, 

LOFT AT 

BCRNHAM BROS.' 

RAILWAY, 




Water St., Gloucester, 



All Work Warranted. 

Satisfaction Guaranteed. 



Howard's Dining Rooms, 

No. 55 Main St., Gloucester, Mass., 

Is the place for a good meal at any hour of the day or eveuing. The room over the Dining Estab 

lishment has been fitted up as 



£6 



■99 



Where all are invited to spend a social hour. Fishermen are cordially invited to visit " THE HUB,' 

and all will be welcome. 



GEO. W. HOWARD, 



Proprietor. 



The Oldest Hardware Store in the City! 
76 MOT JS^EET. 



xje-A-IjIe:^ xst 



HARDWARE, 

ilM Materials 




Dry and Tarred Sheathing Paper, 

Carpenters' Tools, 

Nails, Brushes, Cutlery, Rubber Moul- 
ding, Garden and Farming Tools, etc. 

76 Main Street, 

@l®u@raf@r* - Mum* 



6E6^6E gTEEIiE, 

Insurance Agent 

AND BROKER, 

Will take risks in the BOSTON MARINE IN- 
SURANCE COMPANY, 

NORTH BRITISH and MERCANTILE, of 

London and Edinburgh, 

CITY of LONDON FIRE INSURANCE COM- 
PANY, of London, England, (Limited,) 

METROPOLE INSURANCE COMPANY, of 

Paris, 

And the DORCHESTER MUTUAL FIRE IN 
SURANCE COMPANY 

Office in Rooms of GLOUCESTER MUTUAL 
FISHING INSURANCE CO., 

Opp. the Post Office, Main Street, 



All wishing Insurance of any kind are invi- 
ted to call and learn rates. 



6E0. k FEW, 

SAIL MAKER 

And Ship Chandler. 

Hemp, Manila and "Wire Cordage of all 
Kinds, constantly on hand. 

Also FLAGS and FLIES. 

Loft on Duncan Street, 

QLOUG'E^WEE,, MA83* 



On Georges in a Storm ! 

This BEAUTIFUL PAINTING 

Has been Photographed, and copies may be ob- 
tained of Procter Brothers. It is a fine pict- 
ure, showing two schooners riding at anchor 
and another jogging under a double-reefed fore- 
sail. Just such a picture as everybody wants. 

Copyright secured according to law. 

Send 75 cents to 

PROCTER BROS., . . Gloucester, Mass., 

and receive by return mail one of the above 
pictures. 



RANGES and STOVES, 

ZF>aJ.la,s 3=3a,ri.g:es are all tlb.e Q-o I 

100,000 ALREADY SOLD. 

I have a large assortment of the best Ranges and Stoves in the Market, and think I can suit all in 
want of anything in this line. I have now in store, 

Pallas, Welcome, Revere, Hudson, Lyra, Morden, Our Choice, 
Supreme, Concord, Temple and Active Ranges, 

at prices ranging from $15 to $60; and a choice variety of PARLOR STOVES from $5 to $35. I 
have also on hand 25 Second-hand Parlor Cooking Stoves, which will be sold very cheap. A 
full assortment of CROCKERY WARE selling cheap. Call and see my stock before purchasing 
elsewhere. 

A. F. HARVEY, 59 Washington St., Gloucester. 



THOMAS RENTON, 



DEALER IN- 




A good assortment of TIN WARE, PUMPS, 

and SINKS of all sizes. 

NEXT DOOR TO FOST OFFICE, 
EAST GLOUCESTER. 

4gr Low Prices, Cash Sales, First-class Goods 




CHRESTEN NELSON, Prop. 



Nelson's Pat. Duck Preserver 

(^=.£uT. T^J^T. 7, 1873.) 

Warranted to protect Ships' Sails, Avunings, 
Tents, and all hinds of Hemp and Cot- 
ton Canvas from Mildew and Decay. 

SAILS, &c, saturated in this PRESERVER, will 
keep free from mildew and mould till worn out, 
and remain white as when new, as shown by num- 
erous Testimonials, after a test of two years. 

MANUFACTURED AT 

No. 307 Main St., Gloucester, Mass. 

SEND FOR CIRCULAR. 




KELHAM'S ^ 

Nos. 139 FRIEND & 46 CANAL STREETS, 

You can a/ways find a full assortment of the 
latest styles of Furniture at fair prices. When 
in Boston please give me a call. 



OLYMPIC 



BILLIARD PARLOR, 



FITZ E. MCINTOSH, 



PROPRIETOR. 



THE above Parlor is fitted up in a neat style, and parties wishing to play a 
cosy game of Billiards are invited to call. The best of order preserved, and 
1 everything first-class, including Bailey's New Patent Cushion Tables. 

TI"b"bets' ZbTe^xr ZB-u.Ild.iiig\ 
9@ Maim Wtwmmif - ©lomeester, Hii§« 



Trusses & Supporters, 



A LARGE ASSORTMENT OF 

Hard Rubber & Leather Trusses, 

Made by the best manufacturers and of 
the best materials. 



My experience for over twenty years in this 
line of business warrants me in garanteeing to 
give AS PERFECT A FITTING TRUSS as 
can be procured in Boston or Neiv York, and I 
am selling them at about ONE-HALF THE 
PRICE usually charged for such goods. 

Price from, $1.00 to $6.00, 

and a perfect fit warranted in every case. The 
money returned for every truss that is not satis- 
factory. Those needing goods of this kind will 
find it for their interest to give me a call. I also 
make a specialty of 

Supporters, Belts, Elastic Stock- 
ings, Suspensory Bandages & Rub- 
ber Goods. 

-A-. E. PRICE, 
Cor. MAIN k HANCOCK Sts., Gloucester, Mass. 



James Davis, 
JUSTICE of the PEACE, 

NOTARY PUBLIC, 

AUCTIONEER, 

AND 

CO!TVVrakHC!S&. 

)8®-PROBATE BUSINESS ATTENDED TO> 
BERGENGBJEN'S BLOCK, 

132 Main St., - Gloucester. 

C. F.'DOEBLE, 

Manufacturer of and Sealer in all kinds of 

Domestic & Imported CIGARS, 

Tobacco, Pipes, &c. 

Largest Stocky Lowest J Who , esa)e and Retg||> 

No. 230 MAIN STREET, 

GLOUCESTER, MASS. 



PHCENIX BILLIARD PARLOR 



:E3E;S f X , .^.TTE3-^Itf■'T , . 

SOlESf §IOWH, Wwo>pwi®i®¥ t 

Takes pleasure in announcing that the above 
establishment, near the head of Duncan street, 
in the new brick building, is now open to the pub- 
lic, and is fitted up in the best style with all the 
modern conveniences, lighted with gas through- 
out, and fully equal to any in the country. 

There are eight of Bailey's Patent Billiard 
Tables, four in the upper hall and four in the 
lower, with all the late improvements, and per- 
sons wishing to enjoy a game of billiards in good 
company, and where courtesy and good order is maintained, will find this the place. Everything 
done for the pleasure and convenience of its patrons. In connection is a First-Class BES- 
TA TIB, ANT, where anything desired on the Bill of Fare, which includes all the good things, may 
be obtained at short notice, cooked in excellent style, and served on either floor. 

Fishermen and landsmen will find this a cozy retreat to while away an evening or any spare 
hours of the day at their disposal, in good company. Come in and inspect ;the premises. All will 
be welcome. 




m 



M, HILTON, 



Teaming and Boarding Stable. 




All kinds of Heavy and Light Trucking and Teaming 

PBQMPWIiY AT'T'ENlDBB TQ* 

Orders for Hauling Fish or Ballast entrusted to me 
will meet with prompt personal attention. 

Vessels Discharged and Satisfaction Guaranteed. 



OIF 1 NICIES: 



Rear 152 Main Street, and 
Main cor. of Pearce St., 



Gloucester, Mass. 




n JOTDJS0PEM PIWFED jSJIEET ©E fpi^Y-TWO C6MOTJS, 

Each issue has all the Local News of Cape Ann, together with all the Fishing Items, a reliable 
Fish Market, good Story and choice Miscellaneous Reading Matter, making it emphatically 

THE PEOPLE'S PAPEE. 

T'he Best A&yextMmg MeMusa ®m the Ompe* 

CIRCULATION, 3,800 COPIES. Terms, $2.65 per year, which includes postage, strictly in 
advance. Sent to any part of the country on receipt of price. $2.50 within Essex County. 
Subscribe for it if you wish to peruse a Live Local Newspaper. Address 



PROCTER BROTHERS, 



And&Srtetors, Gloucester, Mass. 




proder |^oam pager parlor 



"Old Corner," 110 Main Street, Gloucester, 

tastefully fitted up, with ceiling and walls elegantly decorated, showing the modern style of art in 
Paper Hanging. This room is filled with the largest stock of 

Room Paper, Borders, Decorations, Win- 
dow Shades and Curtain Goods, 



this side of Boston, and is well patronized. 



FINE GOODS, LOW PMICES. 



■whoijEsale XDE^ijiEiEes iar 




Dry an I MM Fish, 



GLOUCESTER, MASS. 



Boneless and Prepared Fish a Specialty 



jonnsrsonsrs 

DYEING & CLEANSING 

ESTABLISHMENT, 

251 & 253 Main St., Gloucester, Mass. 



Ladies' and Gents' Garments and Wearing 
Apparel of all kinds dyed in a superior style. 

Gents' Garments $2.00 a suit. Good work, low 
prices. Save money and give us a trial. 

Agency for the best LAUNDRY in New Eng- 
land. 



EBEN fl. MIFKIN, 

BLACKSMITH 



Horse Shoeing, Carriage 
Work and Jobbing 

Promptly attended to. 



SHOP 78 WESTERN AVENUE, 

GLOUCESTER, MASS. 



-wj^K^JM^^E^m book; 



PUBLISHED BY- 



PROCTER BROTHERS, Gloucester, Mass. 




By Hon. John 

$2.00. 
Paper, $1.00; 



^ HISTORY OF GLOUCESTER. 
J. Babson, $10.00. 
GLOUCESTER DIRECTORY. 
FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 

Cloth, $1.50. 
FISHERMEN'S MEMORIAL AND RECORD 

BOOK. Paper, 50 cts. ; Cloth, $1.00. 
THE FISHERIES OF GLOUCESTER FROM 
1623 TO 1876. Paper, 50 cts. ; Cloth, 75 cts. 
FISHERMEN'S BALLADS, or, Songs of the Sea. 50 cts. 
NORA RAY, THE CHILD MEDIUM. Paper, 50 cts. 
GEORGES' FISHING SCHOONER IN A STORM. Large Photograph ; 

7*) cts 
MAP OF GLOUCESTER AND CAPE ANN. 50 cts. 
STEREOSCOPIC VIEWS OF THE ROMANTIC SCENERY OF CAPE 
ANN. 1000 subjects. 20 els. each ; $2.00 per doz. Send for Catalogue. 

All the above sent by Mail, to any part of the World, 



FRANCIS PROCTER. 



GEORGE H. PROCTER. 



^-CrSTHS- B_ EE3-A*"Z\ 





IG 





ll 





r, 



©£@TOfiWI, BMriM. 



Office and Wharf, 



Rogers Street. 



FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY, 

First National Bank Block, 

OPP. POST OFFICE, - - MAIN ST., GLOUCESTER. 

Fire and Marine Risks effected at lowest market rates. 
ROBERT R. FEARS, President. JOHN CUNNINGHAM, Sec. 

CLARK & PRESSON, 

21 ROGTERS STREET, 

aLOUCESTEE, - - MASS. 



WILLIAM H. CROSS, 

Sailmaker and Ship Chandler, 

Constantly on hand a full assortment of 

CORDAGE used in the Fisheries 



• COMPRISING - 



Hoth's Best Russia Hemp Bolt 
Rope for Purse Lines, Bunt- 
ing, Flags, Flys, &c, at 

Tarr's Wharf, Rock7 Neck, East Gloucester. 



Moses Merlett, 

Rigger & Mast Setter 

Loft at Lemuel Friend's Wharf, 
Vincent Point, Near Sam'l Lane & Bro's. 



Tarring Rigging and Planing Masts done at 
short notice. 

Second-hand Rigging and Red Stock of all 
kinds. Stock furnished if required. 
Good warranted work and low prices. 



X! 



5 S 

< 



H 









C3 

IE 
o 



^ 






CO 

c 

o3 






fa 



CD 



OS 




Box Manufacturer 

AND 

PBIHTEBOITJ^OCCL 

BONELESS & PREPARED FISH 



.A. SPECIALTY E3-Z" 



ROWE & WONSON. 

Also, Dealers in and Curers of Dry and Pickled Fish, 



Every variety of Fisli handled I -r rim?- t>siy iai\ 
in their season. \J^OCK BOX 140. 



Walter L. Eowe. 
Ernest C. Wonson. 



EAST GLOUCESTEK, Mass. 



Commission Merchant in Codfish, Mackerel, Oil, &c, 42 WATER ST., NEW YORE. 



B. L. ROWE, 

SAIIiMAKER 

AND DEALER IN 

Duck and Cordage. 

Hoth's Best Russia Hemp Bolt Hope 

For PURSE LINES; also, BUNTING, FLAGS, 
and SIGNALS, for sale at 

33 WHARF ST., foot of Water. 

4®=TENTS ( AWNINGS, WAGON COVERS 
and WINDOW SHADES made to order. 



GEO. MERCHANT, Jr., 

Net & Seine Repairer, 

SHUTE & MERCHANT'S WHARF, 

GLOUCESTER, MASS. 

Nets, Seines, Twine and Fishing Nettings of 
every description, furnished to order. 

Parties wishing Nets and Seines will please 
give the longest notice possible. 

Agent for H. E. Willard's Mackerel Pocket. 

Nets stored in winter free of charge. 





I 



f 



«ff-New York Office, 165 MAIDEN LANE. 



WHOLESALE 

Pish Dealer, 

GLOUCESTER, Mass. 




Washington St. Bottling Works, j 

JAMES H. JOYCE, Proprietor, 39 Washington Street, 
Gloucester, Mass. 

Manufacturer of SODA and MINERAL WATERS, GIN- 
GER ALE, TONIC BEER, &c, Bottler of ALE, 
LAGER BEER, CIDER and PORTER. 

Fishermen's Ballads 

And SONGS OF THE SEA. 

A book of 184 pages, containing choice Ballads and 
Sea Songs, many of which were written expressly for 
the book by the" Fishermen themselves. It has the real 
salt water flavor all through, and is just the book to have 
on board the vessel or in a person's pocket, to while 
away the leisure hours. 

PRICE £>0 CENTS. 

Very handsomely illustrated. For sale by the pub- 
lishers, 

PROCTER BROS., Gloucester, Mass. 

Mailed anywhere on receipt of price. Postage stamps ■ 
§?** taken. 





— DEALER IN — 

^igars, faiyts ami ^abatco t 

142 MAIN ST., GLOUCESTER. 



The BEST FIVE CENT CIGAR in the City. 



4®= Fishermen and all others will find this the place to get CHOICE 
ARTICLES in this line. Come in and see us. 



IRA ANDREWS, JR., 

JOB PRINTER, 



Tappan Block, 



114 Main St., Gloucester. 



CCOiTILTIECT'rEar) ■WITH TIEXjEriXrOIfcTIE. 



G. W. PLUMER, 
Ship Broker, &c., 

Gloucester, Mass. 
Also in Boston, 214 State St. 

VESSELS of all descriptions Bought, 
Sold and Chartered. 

SSf FISH Bought and Sold on Commission. 




F. T. Hall & Son, 
t 




282 Main St., Gloucester. 



Constantly on hand a full assortment of First- 
Class Goods at Low Cash Prices. 



Rubber Boots a Specialty. 



House Lots on Bellevue Heights. 

ooHfioo 

Young men or any one desiring to make a safe investment, cannot do better than to look 
over the 

delightfully situated on Bellevue, Beacon, Conant, Blynman and Centennial avenues, and 
thus secure good homesteads. Best location, best neighborhood, best water view in the 
city; within ten minutes walk of the post office, schools, churches, etc. 
Interview the subscribers, and they will tell you all about them. 

PROCTER BROTHERS. 



M.L.ffETHEBELL, Druggist 4 ClBlist. 

ESTABLISHED HT 1SSO. 

The most Reliable PHARMACIST in Essex County. Employs none but 
Efficient and Courteous Assistants. 

All Pharmaceutical Preparations manufactured from the best materials, and in strict accord- 
ance with the revised Pharmacopoeias, and standard works. Family Medicines and compounding 
Physicians' Prescriptions a specialty. One of the largest Proprietary Manufacturers in the United 
States of America. So, if you are desirous of using Proprietary Medicines, be sure to use none 
but are put up by, and have the signature of M. L. Wetherell' to the same. 

Use WETHERELL'S WINE OF CALISAYA BARK to strengthen and tone up the system. 

Use WETHERELL'S SARSAPARILLA AND IRON to purify and enrich the blood. 

Use WETHERELL'S BUCHU AND HOPS for all diseases of the kidneys and urinary organs 
in male or female. 

Use WETHERELL'S ROSE LOTION for all cutaneous diseases, and all eruptions whatever 
that require a soothing and pleasant wash. 

Use WETHERELL'S DANDELION AND MANDRAKE LIVER PILLS for chronic affections 
of the liver and bowels, constipation in all its forms, headache, giddiness, dyspepsia, biliousness, &c. 
Be sure to buy a bottle of these pills, and you will use no other. None genuine unless signed M. 
L. Wetherell. 

If you want the genuine BED-BUG POWDER, be sure to procure it at M. L. Wetherell's, 178 
Main St., as all other kinds are worthless imitations of the genuine article, which is imported by 
M. L. Wetherell from Trieste, Austria. Every bottle warranted. 

Use WETHERELL'S EUREKA LINIMENT for rheumatics, sprains, bruises, fish bone sores, 
colds, colic pains, or cramps in the stomach, and for pingeuts (caused generally by the oil jacket 
chaling the wrist) , etc. It is the strongest liniment made. 

Try WETHERELL'S EXTRACT JAMAICA GINGER ROOT, manufactured from the pure 
Jamaica Ginger Root. It is one-third stronger than any other ginger in the market. It is guaran- 
teed to contain all the medicinal qualities of that drug in a concentrated form. Be sure that you 
procure none but M. L. Wetherell's, and take no other. 

WETHERELL'S EXTRACT OF WITCH HAZEL, or HAMAMELIS, is the people's remedy 
or balm for every wound. It is a most efficacious remedy for catarrh or cold in the head, burns, 
bruises, piles, sore eyes, all humors of the scalp, and wounds of every description. 

The best plaster ever offered to the public is WETHERELL'S BUCHU and HOPS STRENGTH- 
ENING PLASTER, manufactured by M. L. Wetherell, at 178 Main St. Every plaster is made of 
the best materials, selected by him, is freshly made, and thus none of the virtues of the ingredi- 
ents are lost. Every plaster contains the valuable medicinal qualities of Buchu and Hops, care- 
fully combined, so that for a lame back, weak back, pain in the side, or pain across the kidneys, 
in the loins, across the chest, weak kidneys, coutusious, bruises, etc., and as a general strengthen- 
ing plaster, it has no equal. Use Wetherell's Buchu and Hops Strengthening Plasters, and be 
convinced they are the best plaster in the market. 

Use WETHERELL'S TOOTHACHE DROPS. Cure in one minute. Try them. 

Use WETHERELL'S PURE COD LIVER OIL, with PHOSPHATE OF LIME. 

Use WETHERELL'S COLD-PRESSED COD LIVER OIL. This oil is made from fresh, 
healthy livers, and is guaranteed to be the best in the market. 

Use WETHERELL'S HORSE POWDERS for horse ail, hide bound, heaves, bots, etc. 

Try WETHERELL'S WINE OF BEEF AND IRON, prepared from fresh beef, iron and sherry 
wine. It is carefully prepared, and for children, delicate persons, nervous and fastidious pa- 
tients, it wall be found very estimable. 

Use WETHERELL'S COMPOUND SYRUP OF HYPOPHOSPHITES, made from the formula 
of Dr. Churchill, of Paris, for the prevention and cure of consumption. 

Use WETHERELL'S SALVE for gurry sores, salt rheum, burns, ringworms and old sores. 

Try WETHERELL'S CHLORATE POTASSA LOZENGES for Diphtheria, Croup, Coughs, 
Colds and Hoarseness. 

Try WETHERELL'S ROLL SALVE for corns, cuts, cracked hands and gurry sores. 

WETHERELL'S FLAXSEED COUGH SYRUP is the best for coughs, colds on the lungs, 
bronchitis, hoarseness and spitting of blood. 

WETHERELL'S NEW WHITE ROSE COLOGNE— superb, fragrant and lasting. As a toilet 
article it has no superior. 

Use WETHERELL'S CELEBRATED EYE WATER, for the relief of inflamed and sore eyes. 

Use WETHERELL'S HOOF OINTMENT for scratches, thrush, quarter cracks, hard and brit- 
tle hoofs. 

Use WETHERELL'S COMPOUND SYRUP OF BLACKBERRY ROOT, a sure cure for chol- 
era morbus, dysentery, diarrhoea, colic, cramps, and summer complaints of children. This has 
been found to'be a very beneficial medicine. A large stock constantly on hand. 

Try WETHERELL'S CAMPHORATED SAPONACEOUS DENTRIFICE for beautifying the 
teeth and cleansing the gums. It is a very pleasant dentrifice, entirely harmless to the teeth, in- 
stantlv rendering them pearl white and glassy smooth. 



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